Originally published at www.filmspotting.net 8/30/10
| Monday, 30 August 2010 14:51 |
Filmspotting contributors Kerry Armbruster and Alex Wilgus christen their debut column with a discussion of the new indie film "Kisses." Alex: “Kisses” is a brief film (75 min.) about two young Irish children (a boy and a girl) who escape their abusive families and strike out on their own in urban Dublin. Director Lance Daly attempts to tug intelligently at our heartstrings, discover innocence in a modern wasteland and provide an affecting romance that captures the magic of first love. Kerry, does he succeed? Were you touched by the odyssey of these two children? Did it awaken your slumbering inner child? Kerry: Daly did ultimately succeed for me, despite a few reservations. I think his success here was due to the performances of the two children, Kylie and Dylan, played by Kelly O'Neill and Shane Curry. We follow what feels to be their last moments of childhood, and their uninhibited honesty is what makes this film worth watching. So much of what happens to these two characters rides on our belief in their relationship, and for me, perhaps the greatest solace in a film as bleak as “Kisses” is the fact that these two people have each other. Alex: The film ultimately worked for me too, but only just. Maybe it's because I'm a total sucker for kid-centered films (I'm a strangely huge fan of Agniezka Holland's “The Secret Garden”), but I rooted for them all the way. I believed their relationship and I really enjoyed watching them together. You’re right about their unabated honesty being the center of their connection. Their love is kindled by the fact that they have no illusions. It's the fact that there is no filter between these kids and the harshness of the world that is so heartbreaking; their struggle to preserve that pure puppy love that they have for each other is very compelling. Still, there was something slightly vacuous about the film. Can you touch more on your reservations? I think they may help me to understand why I wasn't totally entranced by such an affecting story. Kerry: I had two main problems: its style and its stakes. First, I think Daly had a lack of confidence in either himself or his audience. The musical choices were unnecessarily heavy-handed. The final scene of the film comes to mind right away. It is supposed to be the emotional crux of the film, but the overloud soundtrack just ruins the moment. It really could have been the best scene in the film but instead comes off like a music video. Furthermore, the use of Bob Dylan and his music seemed a bit forced for me. I’m a die-hard Dylan fan, but there is something a little too on-the-nose about playing "Shelter From the Storm" as Kylie and Dylan escape to Dublin on a boat. I also had real trouble staying engaged in the actual journey of this film. The film starts out in black and white, stressing the harsh reality of their home life, and as the kids escape to Dublin, color slowly begins to seep in. I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the "The Wizard of Oz." Like Dorothy, Kylie and Dylan escape their homes, but while Dorothy's mantra becomes "There's no place like home," Dylan and Kylie find their home in each other. The problem here is that we never actually see them finding each other. The film begins with Kylie rescuing Dylan from his angry father. It’s just too obvious that they’re going to be together. Their emotional connection is so strong from the get-go that that I never really questioned what these two would do for each other. The journey that follows their escape seems superfluous. Alex: It's funny that you say that parts of it were like a music video. I was thinking the exact same thing. I think a good 45% of this film is music montages. Yes, the Bob Dylan theme was pretty ham-handed, and it was a distraction from Kylie and Dylan’s great chemistry for the sake of throwing in some existential themes. The film’s style is a little too thick, and the music and scenery distract from the story more than it enhances it. It's possible that Daly is showing off his directorial skills, but much of the film comes off looking like one of those Levi's Jeans commercials. The color work didn't distract me too much, but it didn't really affect me either. It was an effect that didn’t pack any kind of emotional punch and was just shy of irritating. I just thought "oh, the color's changing" and went right on watching the kids. I wish that Daly could have let us just spend time with Kylie and Dylan as they quested around Dublin instead of bringing the visuals and the soundtrack to the fore so often. I do have to disagree with you about their journey though. I didn’t think it was superfluous at all. I was engaged in it all the way through; I just wished that we could see more journey and less music video. The stakes of the film is not exactly whether or not the kids will end up falling in love, but whether or not Dylan will become like his father. You spend the whole film in the back of your head knowing that these two will have to go home. The question is what will become of them when they do. All the dialogue about Dylan planning to kill his father and Kylie talking him out of it feels like childish banter, but on another level it's evidence that Dylan's soul is still embattled. Will he choose love or violence to deal with his problems? Kylie’s soul is intact, but her body is at risk. The kids have been damaged in different ways and it’s up to them to save each other. Kerry: Interesting. I had thought they were different from their parents from the beginning because they were so emotionally involved, but maybe Dylan's path is more open-ended than what I originally perceived. That perspective definitely makes me appreciate the storytelling a bit more, but it didn’t really catch my attention. It seemed like Daly was too busy making Bob Dylan references. Alex: Well, I do think the film's stakes are far from obvious and, again, Daly could have spent much more time on the story than on the music and the scenery shots. But the journey did ultimately work for me. I could be reading more into it than is actually there. It looks like we’re largely in agreement on this one. The kids' performances are very strong and Lance Daly is certainly capable of spinning a heartwarming tale and coaxing strong performances out of young children (though there are moments when it's a little shocking to see these young actors in such mature situations). Like its cousins “In America” and “Once,” “Kisses” takes a Hallmark Channel premise and treats it delicately enough for it to actually tug at the heartstrings. SUMMARY Daly’s successes outweigh his missteps and I think we'll both be interested to see what he does next. I am particularly looking forward to seeing Shane Curry and Kelly O'Neill on screen again. Theirs are talents not to be wasted. |
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