YOU KILL ME
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2007 David N. Butterworth
*** (out of ****)
The hit man comedy has long been a Hollywood staple, from the
sublime ("Grosse Point Blank") to the ridiculous ("The Whole Nine
Yards") with much mediocrity in between. And while a plot concerning
someone whose primary occupation focuses on the rubbing out of others
might not immediately produce fun and laughs galore it doesnâeTMt take long
to conceive of the comedic possibilities--errors in judgment, mistaken
identities, or just plain and simple incompetence on the part of the
hired gun.
The latest film in the genre, John DahlâeTMs "You Kill Me" with Ben
Kingsley and TÃ(c)a Leoni, is a little bit different from most funny films
about assassins. ItâeTMs a comedy sure enough, although perhaps not
exactly the killer comedy its producers had wished for, but it serves up
a serious side that makes it downright interesting if not borderline unique.
That, and itâeTMs got Kingsley and Leoni, who do not disappoint, as
well as Bill Pullman and Luke Wilson. Dennis Farina and Philip Baker
Hall, as warring mob bosses, are also on show, effectively playing
themselves.
Frank Falenczyk (Kingsley) has a drinking problem, one that has
started to significantly affect his work. Unfortunately for Frank his
work involves popping people for his Polish crime family and when Frank
misses a critical kill (by dozing off in his car while awaiting his
latest hit) his Buffalo-based employer (Hall) ships Frank off to San
Francisco to get sober or get out of the biz. FrankâeTMs contact in the
Bay Area is a pushy realtor (Pullman, typically quirky) who fixes him up
with an apartment and a part-time job as a "finisher" (think DunkinâeTM
Donuts) at a funeral home while ensuring that Frank gets to his weekly
Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on time (Wilson plays FrankâeTMs sponsor in
the 12-step program). Each and every time Frank steps out of line,
PullmanâeTMs character threatens to make that killer phone call to "mom" in
upper New York State.
ItâeTMs at the funeral parlor that Frank first meets--and yes,
ultimately falls in love with--Laurel (Leoni). Laurel sells radio
advertising time and doesnâeTMt know the meaning of the word "no," which
comes in handy once she hooks up with Frank. Like Frank, Laurel is
lonely, which is maybe why she doesnâeTMt take flight the moment she learns
what he does for a living. Leoni is an underrated actress who handles
comedy extremely well (case in point: the recent remake of "Fun with
Dick and Jane" with Jim Carrey) and sheâeTMs excellent here too, giving
Kingsley (whoâeTMs also terrific) a run for his money. They work together
beautifully.
Director Dahl ("The Last Seduction," "Red Rock West") handles the
AA stuff with pathos and credibility; its inclusion provides a central
forum through which several of the key characters interrelate and grow.
From a bemused outsider Frank eventually becomes an involved,
impassioned participant. The San Francisco scenes, whether they involve
Frank and Laurel, or Dave (Pullman), or Tom (Wilson), are vibrant and
engaging but when the action switches back to Buffalo, with its ongoing
gang war between the Poles, the Irish, the Greeks, and/or the Chinese,
"You Kill Me" loses both its footing and dramatic edge, becoming more
rooted in traditional (and thereby predictable) crime dramas.
But I could watch Kingsley and Leoni for days. TheyâeTMre the filmâeTMs
true draw.
--
David N. Butterworth
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