For almost 10 years Shane Black stood tall as one of the highest paid screenwriters in the history of cinema. But after the box office failure of THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT Black virtually vanished from film. I’ve read interviews with Black where he speaks of a depression that set in over his place in show business and a need to get away from the buddy action films that had made him a success. It would be nearly 10 years after THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT before Black would return, this time as both writer and director, for KISS KISS, BANG BANG. A film that shares much in common with LETHAL WEAPON and THE LAST BOY SCOUT but is also brand new territory for Black.
KISS KISS, BANG BANG partners up Robert Downey Jr. as a thief-turned-actor with Val Kilmer as a private eye who enjoys the company of men. The story has the duo caught up in a dime-store novel detective mystery but the plot is really just an excuse for Black to show everyone he still has the gift to write sharp, and often hilarious, dialogue. The film doesn’t have the relentless pacing of Black’s earlier work but what it lacks in automatic weapons it more than makes up for in charm. Black is essentially spoofing a lot of what made him successful but not in a SCARY MOVIE “Bash you over the head with a frying pan” way.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Downey Jr. but he hits all the right notes in KISS KISS. He’s asked to do an awful lot in this film and seems up to whatever challenge the story throws at him. Kilmer is equally good, if not better, as Gay Perry. In a year when BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN was seen as a landmark for gay characters in film it would be nice if Kilmer could have gotten some more praise for playing a guy who won’t let taking it up the ass get in the way of being a tough guy.
KISS KISS, BANG BANG was a relatively small studio film but even by that standard it flopped hard at the box office. Some of the fault lies with the studio, Warner Bros., who pretty much dumped the film in theaters with practically no advertising. But as much as I hate to say it, even if the movie had gotten a wider release I’m sure it would have tanked. It’s a very funny film but it isn’t a WEDDING CRASHERS-type funny and since both of the leads aren’t exactly box office gold, the general public was never going to give it a fair shot. That’s just the sad truth of today’s movie-going public. They’ll lap up all the SAW sequels and inspirational sports films but they’ll only put up with so many off-the-beaten-path movies before they’re begging for Adam Sandler to get kicked in the nuts while Drew Berrymore acts ditzy.
I can only hope that Black hasn’t taken the financial failure of KISS KISS, BANG BANG too hard. I’d like to think he’s already planning his next film, even if it’s just as a writer, that’ll stand proudly with his other works. I’d personally be interested in anything he has his hand in no matter the genre. Though I admit if he announced tomorrow that he was a penning a follow-up to THE LAST BOY SCOUT I’d take my enthusiasm one-step further and dance a jig that would make Michael Flatley look like the fraud we all know him to be.
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