Kiss of Death

I liked this movie and I am quite surprised by the low IMDb user voting for this film. It is certainly not Academy Award material. But the story, character development, and the acting performances are really above average. I am not a big fan of television dramas. I have never seen a single episode of CSI. I thought NYPD Blue was very overrated, except for Dennis Franz. However, I think that David Caruso is a much better movie actor than he gets credit for. This one is definitely worth seeing. It is not a stupid high-action movie like Armageddon. However, it does have some very intense and well staged scenes that will keep action movie fans happy.

I think the best way to approach this movie is on its own terms rather than as a remake of the 1940s film. In any case, it merely follows the general story outline of the earlier picture. What makes it altogether new is Richard Price's screenplay, Barbet Schroeder's direction, a great lineup of actors, and location shooting in some of New York City's seediest and most squalid areas.

Along with the great locations, what really provides the atmosphere is Price's writing. Once again he shows his down to the ground knowledge of the characters, mannerisms, and lingo of the creeps and hoodlums in the big city underworld, and the law enforcement people who deal with them. And there is also Price's trademark offbeat humor.

While the earlier film gave us Richard Widmark as a really scary psycho, in this later film Richard Price has given us Little Junior Brown, a bulked-up killer with a child's mind and an abiding faith in the nostrums of New Age philosophy.

What a delight when Little Junior, fresh from committing murder, asks our hero to take the next day off so they can get together and "talk about life and stuff"! Or when he urges him to settle on an acronym that will give shape to his identity. (Little Junior's is B-A-D--for "Balls, Attitude, Direction.")

Nicholas Cage is often accused of playing over the top, but in the case of Little Junior, over the top is the way to go.

There are also good performances by Stanley Tucci and Samuel L. Jackson. Tucci excels in portraying charming snakes. When he leers and sneers, it is impossible to keep from watching him.

This movie was really very enjoyable.

David Caruso and a beefed up Nicholas Cage star in this remake of the 1947 noir film..In this one David Caruso, on parole, is talked into doing a job to help his cousin, when he is busted, his cousin takes advantage of him and his wife Helen Hunt. Caruso is offered a deal by a slippery DA with political aims, played with the usual excellence by Stanley Tucci. Caruso then discovers the meaning of the word politics and seeks revenge on those who betrayed him. An underrated movie that didnt get much press when released (probably due to Caruso's controversial exit from NYPD Blue) this film builds the suspense and keeps you involved and interested.Caruso, the Cagney for the 90s, plays his part great with a tension you can feel. All the other roles are played well in this sleeper movie.. Well recommended Kiss of Death rates a 8

America has the best justice money can buy- meaning gentry that pay for the privilege of justice receive it and normal citizens will see justice only by pure accident. Here is a normal citizen who served his time but continues to be harassed by police- a common tactic of pigs- since they are too stupid to be detectives- they make their informants do all the dirty work of investigation under penalty of return to prison on some lies and setups-ya know- who they gonna believe? Me or you? This is the framework this movie operates in- the reality that most cops and lawyers are total scum that need two neat in the back of the head, and justice is a fairy tale in America.

Add in a little action jackson moments to spice it up and we have a watchable movie that is reasonably OK- not stellar- but watchable to the finish and a decent job of acting by our lead. This is one of the few action flicks that actually tries to do some acting- our lead does a great job- his supporting actors do OK- but not great.

All in all- I would watch this movie for a matinée by myself. One of the humorous things in this movie is you see Nicholas Cage bulked up as a guido in a disco.

My friend made me watch this and I found it to be a surprisingly entertaining movie. It's a remake of a 1940s film noir, but I haven't seen that one. Here David Caruso plays the typical gangster-gone-straight in order to support his new family, but one of his friends (played by Michael Rappaport) pulls him in for one last deal which (unsurprisingly) screws him over big time.

The casting here is absolutely phenomenal. The performances by all the lead actors are some of their best: Nicholas Cage, Stanley Tucci, David Caruso and Michael Rappaport all bring serious color to the story. It is clear here that the careful casting makes a big difference. I'd like to say one performance in particular stands out (maybe Nicholas Cage, in one of his best roles ever) but everyone pulls their weight. Michael Rappaport, despite staying in his typical character role, manages to play the most loathsome character in the film! Even the villains have more humanity to them than he does...

The story is good too. It's not original, but very well done. Many classic crime twists are provided in ways one doesn't expect and there are some plot points that are only alluded to, not blatantly shown (i.e. the reason certain characters get knocked off, etc.). It also gives us a good rundown on the inside of a corrupt court system which only protects ex-cons if there's a profit to be made.

And to top it off, despite the criminal element and violence, there is a cool sense of humor to several scenes. Little Junior's (Nicholas Cage) mourning scene stands out as a highlight. And then the way the movie ends, you'd think you were watching Beethoven or something. Hee hee, and Stanley Tucci was in that one too!

It's not some critically acclaimed showboating from the '90s, like American Beauty, The Usual Suspects, and so on, but it is a solid little '90s period piece.

6.5