Kisses (Daly, 2008)

[ayaa1977]

IMDb Link

Synopsis: Kisses is  a modern day Hansel and Gretel story of two eleven years old, Kylie and Dylan, who live depressing lives in a poor Dublin neighbored, where Dylan's father beat and terrorize the family, and Kylie is sexually abused by her uncle. One day, Kylie decides for the two of them that they had enough should elope in search for Dylan's older brother who ran away a few years ago. So the two of them run away at Christmas and spend a night of magic and terror on the streets of inner-city Dublin.

What a charming little gem of a movie. I heard of it last year and how good it was, and since Ireland gave us one of the sweetest and greatest romantic films of last decade; Once, also a micro-budgeted little gem, I was so eager to see Kisses. The director employs  realistic measures in depicting the lives of these kids of poor backgrounds, and he doesn't shy from putting them in dire situations or letting them speak the way children speaks to each other in such places, no sugar-coating and certainly no watering down. So what you get is as close as it gets to natural situations and behaviors. I also loved the way he starts, and finishes, the film in black and white, to reflect how these kids see their lives in the hood, and how the  ballot gradually turns to colors the minute they start their adventure.

The two kids are great, Dylan played by Shane Curry is shy and reserved, he is not afraid of expressing his hesitance and fear, while Kylie is played brilliantly by Kelly O'Neill, she is the courageous and resilient one, and clearly the better actor. Both are first time actors, and I heard in an interview with the director that she acted like a diva on set and gave everyone a hard time, but believe me when I say that the outcome was worth it. Stephen Rye, the famous Irish actor, has a small cameo as a Pop Dylan impersonator, and the film features some nice Dylan songs.

There is a car "chase" scene near the end of the film that is breathtakingly thrilling, and would never ever be done that way in a Hollywood film. It was not put there just for the heck of it, it was rather crucial to show how dangerous and dire for two children on their own on the cruel streets, where cold, hunger, terror, and death are the common currency.

At 72 minutes, Kisses is truly a good fabulous piece of cinema without a boring moment. It has joy, adventure, fear, thrill, and above all wonderful and relatable protagonists. It's films Kisses that remind me why I really love cinema.

My Ratings --->  4.5/5       

[fizz]

Thanks for the reminder (and recommendation) ayaa. Goes into my playlist.

[ayaa1977]

It really is a very good film, and the director is a very competent filmmaker. The flashiest tool he uses is the switching between color and black and white, and although it is noticeable, it serves a purpose in reflecting the lives of our two protagonists. The film doesn't try to make the outcome a surprise, and you can safely predict the end of journey, so the point of the film is to take you with the two in their night of adventure. One thing that I really loved, and it lasts a split of a second so if you blink you might miss it, is in the last shot of the film, after the two are back home (the film then has switched back to black and white), Kylie's mom is dragging her back to her home, and Dylan's Mom is doing the same, Kylie stops and blows a kiss in the air to Dylan, and for that little moment, just a split second, the film turns to color. I really loved that a whole lot.  

[shariqq]

I found Kisses to be interesting. It's a little episode in the lives of these two kids who run away together, and their experiences while in the big city, the different kind of people they meet. Spanning a single-day, their city experiences probably changes them, but we don't see those changes - instead, we just observe these kids mostly just having it easy.

It's short (72mins, as Ayaa mentioned), and thus an easy watch. But the movie doesn't really do anything with its interesting premise. It could have been an odyssey of them meeting eccentric characters that tells us more about them, or just entertains. It could have been a slice-of-life movie about what hardships runaway-kids-on-the-street face. Instead, it's just a beautiful postcard of a movie - looks interesting, but is flat and limited.

My rating --> 2.5 of 5

[ayaa1977]

I couldn't disagree with you more Shariq. First of all, the film is as eventful as a day and a night can get, and if the story had what you asked for like a message or such, I really would not had care much for it. Secondly, the film is told from these kids point o view, and if a kid ran away from home, guess what he or she would do? They will do exactly what these two did, have a good time, spend whatever money he or she can have or steal, and by the end of the day when they are really hungry, frighten, or cold, they will cry for mommy. That what Dylan wanted to do at least, except Kylie won't let him.

 I will tell you a story, when I was a 6 years old, a first grader then, I used to walk to school with my cousins, who are older than me. Our school day started then in the afternoon, because we shared a building with another school. Anyway, one day they decided to run away, and they took me with them. I didn't want to go, but I didn't have the choice. First I was afraid of my father, and nagged them, then I started enjoying the adventure. We played on the streets, then we went to one of their friend's house, where we ate, watched movies, and hanged out. It was a good day in general, except for the part when my father found out I was not at school, and looked for me franticly everywhere, then beat the crap off me when he found me, and my cousins too. Was that day memorable for me? Yes. Did it have any large significance in the scheme of things? No, not really. Was it a slice of life? For me and my cousins, it was.

My point is, these kids didn't have to show growth in one day, that would be unnatural and fake if it happened. The two things they learned form their day, they can't survive by their own on the streets, and that as long as they have each other, their bleak lives will be a little brighter and more colorful.

Now we need a referee, what say you Fizz?

[fizz]

Now we need a referee, what say you Fizz?

I'm on a movie watching sabbatical for the next few weeks but am enjoying this discussion. My thoughts on the film imminently.

[shariqq]

if the story had what you asked for like a message or such

No, I didn't say the movie should have a message - don't want the movie to be preachy. I was looking at something more substantial than just a few hours with these kids who do what kids do, in a world which seems sugar-coated, in a movie that was trying to be realistic.

I will tell you a story, when I was a 6 years old, a first grader then, I used to walk to school with my cousins, who are older than me. Our school day started then in the afternoon, because we shared a building with another school. Anyway, one day they decided to run away, and they took me with them. I didn't want to go, but I didn't have the choice. First I was afraid of my father, and nagged them, then I started enjoying the adventure. We played on the streets, then we went to one of their friend's house, where we ate, watched movies, and hanged out. It was a good day in general, except for the part when my father found out I was not at school, and looked for me franticly everywhere, then beat the crap off me when he found me, and my cousins too. Was that day memorable for me? Yes. Did it have any large significance in the scheme of things? No, not really. Was it a slice of life? For me and my cousins, it was.

That there, my buddy, is your personal reason to identify with the movie so much, and hence love it so much. It is subjective. I had no such experience, and hence the movie does not bring back memories, or tap into past experiences. It's just like any other movie for me - one I judge on its merits, and I see few. I'm not saying it's a bad movie. It's just not, for me, as great as you made it out to be.

My point is, these kids didn't have to show growth in one day, that would be unnatural and fake if it happened.

Again, I was not looking for growth within the span of the movie. But, I'd be more interested in how this incident affected them years later - or even a few days later, when at home or in school. I'd even be more interested in their few hours in the city if they faced real life, rather than the Christmas-spirit flavored sweetness. There was enough cliche in it to prove how hard it was trying to be edgy, but never getting there.