KISS THE GIRLS
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1997 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
So what does it take to make a successful mystery? Stars?
KISS THE GIRLS has one of our best actors, Morgan Freeman (SEVEN)
as well as an excellent actress, Ashley Judd (RUBY IN PARADISE). These
two actors alone, make it an interesting film. But to be fair, I think
director Gary Fleder, whose last picture was the uniformly panned
THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, would have been hard-pressed
to make a bad film with these actors.
Perhaps it is the TV-movie-of-the-week quality script by David
Klass, based on a novel by James Patterson, that should reap most of
the blame for not being able to fashion a credible story line out of a
promising concept. I have a fairly high tolerance for implausibility,
but a film that has you and your wife counting the unbelievable parts
at the end is a bad sign. But still, the movie is entertaining and the
acting good.
As Dr. Alex Cross, a Washington, D.C. forensic psychologist,
Morgan Freeman comes close to repeating the role he played in SEVEN,
but his performance in KISS THE GIRLS is not one of his better ones.
The director has all of his actors on a short leash, which he uses to
pull them back when they become too emotionally involved. Dr. Cross,
who comes to Durham, North Carolina to help out when his niece
disappears, remains remarkably dispassionate throughout most of the
investigation.
When Dr. Cross arrives on the scene, he finds that there is a
serial killer on the loose who has taken his niece. In the first of
many unbelievable parts, he meets Chief Hatfield (Brian Cox) who runs a
large and seemingly all-white police force. If you've been in the
South recently, you know this is no longer true. The chief invites him
in, but warns him to stay out of the kitchen. This hint at racial
prejudice is never subsequently developed.
As soon as Dr. Cross sees the board of the missing women, a few of
whom have already been found dead, he makes a miraculous deduction. He
says of the killer, who calls himself Casanova, that "killing's not his
ulterior motive -- he's a collector." The police then start looking to
find where the women are hidden.
Although the common characteristics of the women are that they are
gifted individuals, for example, Dr. Cross's niece is an accomplished
violinist, they share the usual stupidity rampant in bad scripts.
Ashley Judd plays an intern named Kate McTiernan who is a kick-boxing
expert. When she hears someone in her house one dark and stormy night,
she doesn't call 911 nor does she turn on any lights. Instead, she
walks around in the dark looking for the intruder, who, of course,
captures her and takes her to his lair.
In a scene straight out of the harrowing South African prison
drama INSIDE, Kate tries to speak through the slit in her cell-like
door to the other incarcerated women. Using her kick-boxing expertise,
she later escapes. Although she runs through a cave and jumps into a
waterfall, she manages to forget both of these key facts in her many
debriefings. Both could have been important clues to the hiding place.
Judd's part is smaller than it seems. In many of the scenes she
has little to do other than stand around, and her acting talent is
largely wasted aside from her few meaty scenes. Incongruously, she
tags along with Dr. Freeman and a friend who go on their own into the
dense forest looking for the killer. Why they didn't get lots of
back-up is never fully answered.
The director is fond of having characters look straight at the
camera with the "I'm the one" look. And several twists are almost
advertised in advanced with neon signs.
My favorite of the ridiculous parts has two cars tailing the
suspected killer for tens of miles. How far do they stay back? --
about six car lengths and with no cars between them. This master
killer, who makes almost no mistakes, never notices.
KISS THE GIRLS runs 1:58. It is rated R for bloody violence, a
little profanity, and adult themes. The show would be fine for
teenagers and probably could appear unedited for television. The
performances by the leads are just barely enough for me to give the
show a mild thumbs up and ** 1/2.
**** = A must see film.
*** = Excellent show. Look for it.
** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable.
* = Poor show. Don't waste your money.
0 = Totally and painfully unbearable picture.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: September 30, 1997
Have I Seen This Movie: Yes
And What Did I Think?: Kiss The Girls is a good psychological thriller that features excellent performances by Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd and Cary Elwes. Morgan Freeman stars as Alex Cross who's on a mission to find missing girls, including his niece, who are kidnapped by a looney who calls himself Casanova. Casanova kidnaps beautiful women and holds them captive because he believes he loves them. Ashley Judd is the only woman captured by Casanova who manages to escape. She helps Morgan Freeman track him down. I won't reveal the plot twist at the end if you haven't seen it, but I wonder how Casanova had the time to kidnap all these women with his other job? That is one thing that is overlooked. I think Kiss The Girls would have made a great tv movie, since this motion picture is a little too long and deviates from its course a bit. One of the best things about this film is the perfomance by Ashley Judd. She plays her character as strong willed and a fighter. Morgan Freeman also gives a good performance, similar to his one in "Seven". If you can catch this cable, its definately worth watching.
I give Kiss The Girls 3.5 out of 5 stars
Review written August 19, 1999
