Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Screenwriter Shane Black of Lethal Weapon fame makes his directorial debut with this film noir. Robert Downey, Jr., stars as Harry Lockhart, a petty thief in New York City who quite literally stumbles into acting and soon finds himself in Los Angeles to test for a film role as a private detective. To help Harry prepare, his new agent arranges for him to shadow a gay private investigator, Perry van Shrike also known as ‘Gay Perry’. But when Perry takes Harry along on a simple job for a mystery client, the two witness the disposal of a dead body, and the game suddenly becomes serious.

Adding to the intrigue is Harmony Faith Lane, a beautiful and smart-as-a-whip wannabe starlet with whom Harry is so smitten that he pretends to be a real detective. Soon Harry, Perry, and Harmony are tangled in a life-threatening web of dead bodies, deception, and treachery.

 

WHAT? Is the exact thought that ran through my head as soon as the credits rolled on this movie. WHAT can lead to the following questions:
…was that supposed to be?
…was the point in this film?
…was that all about?

 

 Bringing Downie Jnr. back is all that this film managed to do effectively, leading to one of the best films of 2008 Iron man. But then I look back and maybe think that film noir as a genre is just lost on me. I just didn’t get it. I found the story dull, I did not know what was going on, and quite frankly I did not enjoy it. Give it a miss.