Kiss of Death (1995 film)
| Kiss of Death | |
|---|---|
 Promotional film poster |
|
| Directed by | Barbet Schroeder |
| Produced by | Susan Hoffman Barbet Schroeder |
| Written by | Ben Hecht Charles Lederer Eleazar Lipsky Richard Price |
| Starring | David Caruso Nicolas Cage Samuel L. Jackson Helen Hunt Ving Rhames Stanley Tucci Kathryn Erbe Michael Rapaport |
| Music by | Trevor Jones |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | April 21, 1995 (US) |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $40 million[1] |
| Box office | $14,942,422 (domestic)[2] |
Kiss of Death is a 1995 crime thriller film starring David Caruso, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicolas Cage, Helen Hunt, Ving Rhames, and Stanley Tucci, directed by Barbet Schroeder.
The film is a very loosely based remake of the 1947 film noir classic of the same name that starred Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, and Richard Widmark. It was screened out of competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.[3] Like the original Kiss of Death, the film was released by 20th Century Fox.
Contents |
Plot [edit]
Jimmy Kilmartin is an ex-con living in Astoria in the New York City borough of Queens, trying to stay clean and raising a family with his wife Bev. But when his cousin Ronnie causes him to take a fall for driving an illegal transport of stolen cars, a police officer named Calvin Hart is injured and Jimmy lands back in prison. In exchange for an early release, he is asked to help bring down a local crime boss named Little Junior Brown.
Jimmy's wife is killed in a car accident and his cousin Ronnie is beaten to death by Little Junior. With Jimmy still refusing to testify or "name names," years pass in Sing Sing without an early release. By the time Jimmy finally agrees to work with District Attorney Frank Zioli, his daughter barely knows him.
Jimmy remarries and attempts to renew a relationship with his child. But he is sent undercover by Detective Hart to work with Junior and infiltrate his operations. As soon as Little Junior kills an undercover federal agent with Jimmy watching, the unscrupulous district attorney and the feds further complicate his life. He must take down Junior or face the consequences.
Cast [edit]
- David Caruso – Jimmy Kilmartin
- Samuel L. Jackson – Detective Calvin Hart
- Nicolas Cage – Little Junior Brown
- Helen Hunt – Bev Kilmartin
- Ving Rhames – Omar
- Stanley Tucci – D.A. Frank Zioli
- Philip Baker Hall – Big Junior Brown
- Kathryn Erbe – Rosie Kilmartin
- Michael Rapaport – Ronnie Gannon
- Anthony Heald – Jack Gold
- Lindsay Wrinn – Corinna as a toddler
- Megan Wrinn – Corinna as a toddler
Reception [edit]
The film opened to mixed reviews. Many critics and moviegoers felt the film was not as powerfully charged as the original 1947 classic, but did like Cage, Jackson, and Caruso in their respective roles. Today, the movie currently holds a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 37 reviews with the consensus: "An outstanding ensemble cast propels Kiss of Death, a noir-ish crime thriller that's slick and big on atmosphere, even if its script may only provide sporadic bursts of tension."
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1995/0KODE.php
- ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=kissofdeath.htm
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Kiss of Death". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
External links [edit]
- Kiss of Death at the Internet Movie Database
- Kiss of Death at Rotten Tomatoes
- Kiss of Death at Box Office Mojo
- Kiss of Death at AllRovi
|
|||||||||||||||||
