Kiss of Death (1995)

You won't be disappointed!

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

The Worst Film Ever

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

"Kiss of Death" is a great thriller from 1995. It is directed by Barbet Schroeder. And it is written by Eleazar Lipsky with screenplay by Ben Hecht. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. Ex-con Jimmy Kilmartin agrees to drive a truck of stolen cars as a favor to a friend. Whilst on the job he gets caught but refuses to role over on the others involved. Whilst in prison his wife is killed in a car crash and Jimmy leaves prison, bitter but with a determination to move on. However NYPD officer Calvin wants to use Kilmartin to get close to Little Junior Brown and get evidence to shut him down. This was one of several vehicles that was planned to turn David Caruso from a TV hit to a big screen star - as we know, it didn't work out that way. However the story is pretty solid, it doesn't break new ground and there's nothing outside of the usual crime thriller plot to surprise you but it's really quite good. At times it's a little dull because it is so straight forward but it's mostly entertaining. Caruso, for all his current lack of success, is actually very good. The problem is that he's good by doing the same "NY Irish tough but fair" role that he did in NYPD Blue, King of New York, Bodycount and most films he's done! It's good but I don't think he can do anything else. Jackson has presence as he always does and the support cast is really well filled out with people like Helen Hunt, Stanley Tucci, Rapaport, Philip Baker Hall, Ving Rhames. Nicolas Cage's Little Junior is a mixed bag. At some points he is effective but for the most part he's horribly OTT and hammy. His character is full of ticks and eccentricities that at the end of the day that's all Cage has to do. Overall this is a solid thriller with no surprises. Caruso fans (like me) will like it regardless because it's Caruso doing his usual role. But others may not be so easily made to overlook the weaknesses.

Jimmy Kilmartin's an ex-con who is predictably trying to go straight. But his friend's life is threatened, so he obliges to do one last job. The job is for Little Junior Brown, a violent and powerful villain. When things go wrong, Jimmy is left to do the time, and his whole life is turned upside-down.But the cops won't leave Jimmy alone when he gets out, as they want to get Little Junior....It s quite funny that David Caruso was trying to be the next big thing in Hollywood. In 1995 he had two pretty high profile releases, this, and the arguably better 'Jade'.When I first saw this back in 1995, I thought this was a pretty smart crime thriller. It had plot twists aplenty, a good story, and was reminiscent of Carlitos Way. But I was seventeen, and I thought the movie 'Congo' was cutting edge.Seeing now, years later, its apprentice that the film isn't trying hard enough to be anything different. Its a crime thriller, nothing more, and it's the same old story line of the guy wanting to go straight, but the police won't let up, and neither will the criminals.It's pretty much the cinematic version of Pacinos line in GF Pt 3, 'just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in'.The performances are good though, particularly Tucci and Cage. Caruso wasn't ready for the big time, and the fact that he had such wonderful support, dint help either.Good, but not as clever as it thinks it is...The Boris Johnson of movies....

As with any role she assays, Kathryn Erbe creates a character of such depth and meaning that she deservedly receives most of the attention of audiences. Here, she takes an underwritten part and through her compassion, spirituality, and sensuality makes the film her own. Anyone who has watched her on Law and Order: Criminal Intent, OZ, Homicide: Life On the Street on television, or seen the films Dream With the Fishes, 3 Backyards, or especially and most notably Blume In Love, realizes Ms. Erbe is an actor's actor. She is certainly one of the most gifted women working as an actor in any medium. Over the course of Criminal Intent, she was able to keep the character of Eames fresh and real while holding her own with grace as her co-star did everything possible to overshadow her. There was, however, no ignoring Ms. Erbe's presence. The film now being discussed is a weak remake and not very good, simply put. Yet Kathryn Erbe makes her part shine and with a subtle power makes her character outstanding. She deserves an opportunity in better quality films to demonstrate how gifted and talented she is. She has done this time after time on stage and whether in film or on television, audiences are always in for something very special when her name appears in the credits.

I saw the scoring for this film and thought 5.9/10 was just plain wrong and felt the need to give my opinion.Personally, I'm quite a fan of those film noirs/crime dramas from the 40/50s, mainly because of their tense atmosphere and gritty realism and so with this being a remake of a classic original, this was right up my street.All I'm going to say about the movie is that the plot is fast paced, exciting, with several twists and keeps you involved right through to the end.David Caruso got panned by critics for his role in this and I felt that was unjust as I thought his performance and demeanour were just right for the character he was playing.The rest of the cast is great and with some great performances by Ving Rhames, Nic Cage, Stanley Tucci, and in particular Anthony Heald as the scumbag lawyer.As a previous reviewer said, perhaps some people were put off this film by the sheer nastiness of some of the characters, but try to put that to one side and enjoy the ride.I'd probably give this movie a solid 8/10, but because of the overall rating I'm going to give it a 10.