Suspense, wit, strong characters color 'Kiss'

"Kiss or Kill," as the title implies, is about both love and crime. In this fascinating and strangely disquieting movie, the two notions are not mutually exclusive. "Kiss or Kill" is both a suspense and love story in one, an unpredictable adventure through the landscape of Australia.

REVIEW
	Kiss or Kill Opens Friday at the State Theater

The opening scene starts out shockingly enough with a woman being burned alive in front of her child. The mystery is set, and director/writer Bill Bennett masterfully and deliberately unravels the knots of this complicated plot.

Al (Matt Day) and Nikki (Frances O'Connor) are both lovers and thieves; as a team, they rob rich and sleazy businessmen. Nikki lures the businessmen back to a hotel room where she spikes their drinks. At that point, Al is let in and the two make off with the belongings of their prey.

All goes well for the two petty criminals until one of their victims unwittingly dies. Their unexpected situation leads them on a road trip to an unknown destination.

On the way, murders occur at their every stop. Has Al finally cracked? Or is Nikki unable to suppress homicidal tendencies from her childhood trauma? Maybe the two are blameless, and a mysterious stranger holds the key.

"Kiss or Kill" opens this Friday at the State Theater.

The two lovers are chased by the ex-rugby player Zipper Doyle (Barry Langrishe) who wants a tape back showing the local hero engaged in pedophilia. Also on the track are two policemen (Chris Haywood and Andrew S. Gilbert) trying to solve the string of deaths.

The most engaging part of this road movie is the love between Al and Nikki. The best scenes occur when the two question each other about the deaths. Al suspects Nikki may have put too many pills in the businessman's drink. Nikki wonders whether Al might have killed the motel owner to get some quick cash. And the audience is left with equal suspicion for the two paramours.

The ensemble cast turns in strong and compelling performances. Day plays Al with a raw edge that leaves us wondering whether he might be the killer. He displays a wide range of emotions, from guilt-ridden and nervous to unsettlingly confident and vicious.

O'Connor reveals brilliantly the tenacious hold on sanity that her character possesses. The interaction between her and Day divulges the full complexity of their relationship; they alternate between wanting to kiss or kill.

In addition to the leads, the minor characters show interesting personalities. Zipper is played adeptly as the aging and disturbed celebrity.

The two detectives provide much of the film's comic relief with some hilarious scenes. At one point, the two long-time partners are sitting in a restaurant eating and talking. One of the cops tells the other matter-of-factly about his personal life. The other responds with incredulity.

At first choppy and fragmented, the camera shots gradually settle into a more narrative style.

Still, the camera retains the rough quality that is so common in purportedly "modern" movies. In the case of "Kiss or Kill," this element of rawness actually adds to the film by creating a sort of unglamorous reality.

"Kiss or Kill" never bores. Filled with suspense and wit, it goes beyond the genre of the road movie to illuminate a puzzling and strange relationship.

Near the end of the film, Al wakes up in the middle of the night to find Nikki in the kitchen chopping up some food. She turns around and slams him up against the wall while holding a knife to his throat. A gasp of surprise escapes the lips of Al. Appropriately, we are left wondering what she will do - "Kiss or Kill."

12-10-97