Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

A murder mystery brings together a private eye, a struggling actress, and a thief masquerading as an actor.

Director:

Shane Black

Writers:

Brett Halliday (novel), Shane Black (screen story)

Stars:

Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan

5 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Harry Lockhart
Val Kilmer	...	Gay Perry
Michelle Monaghan	...	Harmony Faith Lane
Corbin Bernsen	...	Harlan Dexter
Dash Mihok	...	Mr. Frying Pan
Larry Miller	...	Dabney Shaw
Rockmond Dunbar	...	Mr. Fire
Shannyn Sossamon	...	Pink Hair Girl
Angela Lindvall	...	Flicka
Indio Falconer Downey	...	Harry Lockhart - Age 9
Ariel Winter	...	Harmony Faith Lane - Age 7
Duane Carnahan	...	Chainsaw Kid
Josh Richman	...	Richie
Martha Hackett	...	Pistol Woman
Nancy Fish	...	N.Y. Casting Woman

Storyline

A petty thief posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl and a detective who's been training him for his upcoming role...

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | actor | thief | kidnapping | nightclub | 

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Taglines:

Sex. Murder. Mystery. Welcome to the party.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, violence and sexuality/nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the DVD commentary track, Robert Downey Jr. had one of Shane Black's assistants crouching off camera jabbing him in the kidneys during the torture scene.

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Goofs

In the voiceover, we are told Harmony came to LA from Indiana, but in the footage of the bus going down the highway, it turns onto GA-16, outside of Marietta, GA. There's no reason she would take a bus that far SE to head to Los Angeles.

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Quotes

Perry: How about you, Harry, did your father love you?
Harry: Ah, sometimes, like when I dressed up like a bottle. How about yours?
Perry: Well, he used to beat me in Morse code, so it's possible, but he never actually said the words.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits, the Warner Brothers logo appears to melt as if this part of the film was left in front of the bulb too long.

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Connections

Referenced in Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Larry Miller Hair System (2010)

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Soundtracks

Santa Called Me a Ho
Written by Michael Kumagai
Performed by Kumagai
Courtesy of Media Creature Music

User Reviews

"I'm retired. I invented dice. What do you do?"

A lucky mistake shifts out-of-luck criminal Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr) from the gritty streets to glossy showbiz in L.A, landing him a part in an upcoming film. Another mistake then shifts him from actor to private detective, and this is where Val Kilmer comes in and things start to go wrong, more wrong and unbelievably wrong until they've snowballed into an enjoyable detective mess -- all to impress failed actress Harmony (Next big thing: Michelle Monaghan).

Shane Black's directorial debut 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' is a comic film noir. Even in the dazzling opening credits using a montage of contrasts of red, black and white, it is evident that this is no run-of-the-mill crime story, but a viciously entertaining ride from scene 01. What makes it so special is that it mixes equal doses of humour and crime like a $15,000,000 blender, pouring out a balanced end product and glazing it with a clever narrative coating by Robert Downey Jr. Black also sprinkles some rapid-fire dialogue onto his product, which is facilitated by the comedic chemistry between Downey and Kilmer. Some of the lines, gags and images are truly laugh-out-loud worthy. Everything else is nice, but forgettable.

Its only problem, as far as I can see it, is its paper-thin plot. It does not seem believable; it is complex, dizzying and not nearly as involving as it would like to be. So back to formula on that one, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang would be a near-perfect comedy-thriller.

7.5/10

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [Belgium] Warner Bros. [Canada]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 November 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

L.A.P.I.

Filming Locations:

Monumental sculpture "Double Ascension" 1973 Herbert Bayer 505 South Flower St, Los Angeles, California USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$180,660, 23 October 2005

Gross USA:

$4,243,756

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,785,148

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Silver Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1