| Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | |
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Promotional poster for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang |
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| Directed by | Shane Black |
| Produced by | Joel Silver |
| Screenplay by | Shane Black |
| Story by | Brett Halliday |
| Starring | Robert Downey, Jr. Val Kilmer Michelle Monaghan Corbin Bernsen Ali Hillis |
| Music by | John Ottman |
| Cinematography | Michael Barrett |
| Editing by | Jim Page |
| Studio | Silver Pictures |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 11, 2005 |
| Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15,000,000 (estimated) |
| Box office | $22,609,607[1] |
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a 2005 crime/dark comedy film, which engages many conventions of the classic film noir genre in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. It is based, in part, on the novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday. The cast includes Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan and Corbin Bernsen. The screenplay was written by Shane Black who also directed the film. It was produced by Joel Silver, and co-produced by Downey's wife Susan Downey (who is credited as Susan Levin).
The film's title is a reference to Pauline Kael's 1968 book, which in turn was named after a translation of an Italian poster of a James Bond movie, which she called "perhaps the briefest statement imaginable of the basic appeal of the movies."[2]
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was filmed in Los Angeles between February 24 and May 3, 2004. After debuting at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival in France on May 14,[3] it received a limited release in cinemas in late October and early November 2005. It was the first film produced by Public Media Works, a production company founded by Corbin Bernsen.[4]
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The film is narrated by a petty criminal, Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey, Jr.). He is self-aware and discusses the events of the film in an almost metafictional way.
Fleeing a botched robbery, Harry evades the police by ducking into an audition for a hardboiled movie, and impresses the producers with his emotional outpouring of regret about the robbery and the consequent death of his accomplice. The producers think he is a method actor giving an audition, and fly him to Hollywood for a screen test. There, he's introduced to private investigator "Gay" Perry van Shrike (Val Kilmer), who is enlisted to help Harry prepare for his role in the movie.
At a Hollywood party, Harry encounters his high school crush, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), whom Harry has known since childhood. They leave for Harry's apartment, but the budding romance is squelched when a drunken Harry accidentally sleeps with Harmony's friend (Ali Hillis) instead.
While working with Perry, Harry stumbles into a conspiracy of kidnapping and murder involving a high profile heiress. Circumstantial crime scene evidence could incriminate Perry in the murder, and someone who knows Harry's habits seems intent upon framing Harry for the crime. At the same time, Harmony, who believes that Harry is really a detective, implores him to investigate the death of her sister; Harmony believes that her sister was murdered by someone trying to kill Harmony, but Perry insists it was suicide. As events related to both crimes escalate, Harry, Perry and Harmony team up to investigate.
Many critics admired the film for its sharp and clever comedy, as well as Downey's and Kilmer's screen chemistry and individual performances. Mike Russell of The Oregonian observed that "This is one of Downey's most enjoyable performances, and one of Kilmer's funniest. It's a relationship comedy wrapped in sharp talk and gunplay, a triumphant comeback for Black, and one of the year's best movies".[5] Jeff Otto, an IGN critic, wrote that "It takes a bunch of genres and twists them into a blender, a pop relic that still feels current...one of the best times I've had at the movies this year."[6] It was voted "Overlooked Film of the Year" by the 2005 Phoenix Film Critics Society on December 20, 2005.
The film opened on October 20 in the United States, with a limited release. From its release until mid-November, the film's distribution increased every weekend due to its favorable critical reviews. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang stayed in release in the United States until early January.[7] The film earned a total of $4,243,756 in the United States.[1]
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang grossed far more outside the United States, accounting for just over 70% of the film's worldwide gross, accumulating $11,541,392.[1] The film ended up earning $15,785,148 worldwide at cinema.[1]
The film has earned over $6,824,459 in DVD sales and rentals.[8]
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