Kill Me Again (1989)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

40's style noir played against sunny Nevada desert and vicious gambling dens. Val Kilmer is too boyish to bring off the classic role of private eye, but at least he doesn't try to act tough while being slapped around or thrown like a rag doll over a series of chairs and tables. In fact his Jack Andrews gets pushed around by almost everyone in what amounts to one of the most feckless of all movie private eyes. His every move seems to either flop or backfire. He's seldom in charge of any encounter, and in that important regard, the movie stands as a genuine oddity to the genre. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, looking like a trampy Natalie Wood, is reasonably convincing as the femme fatale, squealing delightedly whenever she's roughed up. Then there's villainous Michael Madsen, looking like Elvis's spooky older brother, who steals the show with a series of scary outbursts that are totally convincing. Despite the oddities, there're enough twists and turns to keep viewers guessing. And while Kill Me Again is no classic of noir filmmaking, it does stand as a reasonably successful low-budget entry.

Co-writer and director John Dahl updates the film noir genre for the late 1980s with this entertaining, if fairly standard plot wise, bit of crime fiction. He would also show with subsequent efforts such as "Red Rock West" and "Joy Ride" his ability to capture on film the beauty and desolation of various rural locations. The movie is certainly well cast: Val Kilmer plays Jack Andrews, a Reno private eye who's *really* fallen on hard times. He owes the mob a fair chunk of change, and what at first appears to be his salvation arrives in the form of super sexy Fay Forrester (Joanne Whalley, married to Kilmer at the time), who we already know is a bad, bad girl having seen her double cross her partner in crime, Vince Miller (Michael Madsen, in full blown psycho / thug mode). Fay's idea is that to avoid Vince, she'll hire Jack to fake her death. As one can imagine, things go more and more wrong for Jack, a definite patsy who is drawn to this femme fatale even when all common sense is telling him to stay away. There are no real surprises here, but then Dahl isn't actually out to reinvent the wheel, just put a modern - sometimes comic - spin on a classic and well regarded genre, with archetypal roles, a serious tone, and occasional bursts of violence. The movie is good fun for any fan of film noir, sort of taking its time at first but picking up in intensity as it goes along. Good supporting performances by Jon Gries, as Jack's loyal friend, Michael Greene, as a surly police detective, and Bibi Besch (too briefly seen), as Jack's secretary, are all assets, but the biggest thrill comes from watching the sultry Whalley sizzle and scam her way through the story. As femme fatales go, she's a very watchable one. The movie's not particularly memorable, but is still fine viewing while it lasts. Seven out of 10.

A 1989 version of a 1940's like Film Noir crime/suspense movie set in the wide open spaces of the Navada and Arizona desert and American Indian Reservations. Ripping off the mob of $850,000.00 outside of Winnemucca NV. as well as killing one of it's top honchos the two desperado's Vince and his girlfriend Fay, Michael Madsen & Joanne Whailey,take off for parts unknown to wait out the storm of the mob and state police all points search for them. Stopping off at a rest stop Vince is smashed in the head by Fay, as he was answering natures call, who took off with his car and the mob's cash for Reno.The move "Kill Me Again" then switches to this local Reno Private Investagter Jack Andrews, Val Kilmer, who gets his right pinkie broken by two goons for being late on his loan of $10,000.00 that the mob advanced him. Jack is told by the mobsters that if he doesn't have the money by Wendsday they themselves will donate it to him for his funeral. Not knowing what to do and with no way to come up with the cash Jack get's his prayers answered when the next day. Fay walks into his shabby and smashed-up office with a proposition that may very well save his life. Fay is willing to pay Jack $10,000.00 to forge documents to make it look like she's officially dead so her boyfriend Vince won't find her. But their's one small thing that the two didn't figure on. The $10,000.00 that Fay's to pay Jack for his services belongs to the Navada Maranot Mob who Fay and Vince riped off. Added to all that the Mob that got ripped off by Fay & Vince is who the loan sharks, who are about to do Jack in, work for!Val Kilmer even though he has the leading role as Robert Andrews is very unconvincing as the hard boiled and down and out PI. Kilmer is far too pretty and good looking to play the part that a Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum portrayed in the 1940's and 50's. Michael Madsen is near perfect as the psychopathic and sadistic Vince Miller who chillingly toys with his victims, like a cat playing with a mouse, before he brutally does them it. Joanne Whailey is also near perfect as the femme fatal who manipulates those who fall under her spell, like Vince & Jack, and uses them for her own selfish and greedy needs. The ending of "Kill Me Again" is so predictable that it hits you with a strong dose of deja vu; you more then expected something like that to happen. With those in the film, Jack Vince & Fay, reminding you of many like wise type characters you've seen in film noir movies over the years.

"Kill Me Again" has nothing new to offer the experienced viewer of this genre of film. It has the male/female duo of criminals on the run. It has the so-called "good guy" who falls for the femme fatale. It has its share of uncomfortable violence. And of course, let us not forget the twist, twist, double twist ending.There used to be a time when a movie watcher could actually be surprised by one of those kinds of endings. In fact, if the ending is original enough, they still work in some situations. Alas...this movie does not contain one of those inspiredly creative conclusions.Michael Madsen and Joanne Whalley are the criminals Vince and Fay. Val Kilmer is the down on his luck private investigator who crosses paths with Fay. She has double crossed Vince and she wants the private investigator to fake her death. The reason? So that Vince will think she is dead and stop looking for her. If only it were that easy.Fay does something so stupid that I am still shaking my head over it. She decides that it would be a good idea to shaft the private eye and skip town before he got paid in full. I know this next part is gonna be a real shocker. Yeah...right. The private eye tracks Fay down and wants the rest of his money. Who would've figured that a private investigator would be good at finding someone?Anyway, the movie tries to impress the viewer by making you guess who is backstabbing who. Sadly, the three main characters are such jerks that you don't even care who ends up getting killed and who gets away. I would recommend watching "The Last Seduction" if you are interested in watching a John Dahl flick. This one is really weak. 2/10