Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

 

Genre: Mystery/Crime

Time: 1h 43mins

Director: Shane Black

Quick Summary: After being mistaken for an actor, a New York thief is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye for a potential movie role. However, the duo are thrown together with a struggling actress into a murder mystery.

I found this incredibly funny. It's quick paced which matches up wonderfully with the clever dialogue. The humour probably isn't everyone's cup of tea as it's pretty dark and sometimes offensive, but I really enjoyed it. I think some of the humour is something that dates this to the time it was made, but it doesn't affect it. 

Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer are what makes this film so funny. They work with each other wonderfully, their dialogue bounces back and forward with each other like a tennis match full of witty remarks and genuinely funny commentary. I really liked Robert Downey Jr as an unreliable narrator, constantly getting mixed up with information or having to remind himself what actually happened, which works really well when it came to the plot twists within this.

As much as I liked the story, it did get a bit confusing at times. This is something that you'll have to focus on, especially on your first watch. It's not complicated really, it's just a lot of things happen and there are a lot of characters to keep up with. Aside from that, it is actually a really interesting storyline. As well, it doesn't follow the same rules that normal mystery films do and goes about things in a non-linear way. 

Stylistically I really liked this too. Even in the opening credits using a montage of contrasts of red, black and white almost like the opening to old detective tv shows.  A lot of bold colour tones are used as overlays in scenes too which give it more of a harsh look at times. 

For something as funny as this was, I really enjoyed the action scenes too. They kept my attention span pretty well, and they were honestly pretty realistic too. It didn't seem over the top at all. 

This is a really fun film that doesn't take itself that seriously. It's definitely worth a watch if this sounds like your type of humour, or if you do really like detective stories. 

8/10

"Perry: Jesus. Look up "idiot" in the dictionary. You know what you'll find?

Harry: A picture of me?

Perry: No! The definition of the word idiot, which you fucking are!"

"Perry: How about you, Harry, did your father love you?

Harry: Ah, sometimes, like when I dressed up like a bottle. How about yours?

Perry: Well, he used to beat me in Morse code, so it's possible, but he never actually said the words."

"Harry: Is she dead?

Perry: No, she's just resting her eyes for a minute. Of course she's fucking dead, her neck's broken."