Just a Kiss (2002)

Okay so this evaluation is a spoiler in itself, but the movie which loops over and changes itself is weirdly interesting. But to see Marisa Tomei as a crazed killer is worth it. Tomei a bowling alley waitress first falls for the peanut butter chicken but then likes Dag who she eventually kills. Kyra Sedgwick is not all that likable in my book. The character I really liked was Marley Shelton's Rebecca. As a crazy but beautiful dancer I wished the movie was more about her and her view of the world. But Tomei, closing in on 50 now (48 at this writing) is stunningly beautiful in this movie. And she plays the dangerous woman very believably. This is a must for Tomei fans.

There are in fact some good takes in this film. Each is like an episode that relates forward or back to another, with uneven balance. The clever rotomation is probably unnecessary, but you never know because the central theme of infidelity masquerading as comedy never gets off the ground.It could be just that I don't appreciate gimmicks or television-inspired quick jumps from one aspect or view of an object to another. Or that I see Generation X or Millennium Generation attitudes as disjointed and lacking any sense of classic value. Anyone who might be strongly centered on the idea of "character" (in the old sense of that word) should probably avoid this film as a waste of time. Go and rent a computer game or watch Reality TV instead.

Given the quality of the actors on this project, I thought this might be one of those overlooked movies that turn out to be a missed treasure. I discovered that it was overlooked for a really good reason. It is a really bad movie.I don't know what is worse - the script, some of the acting, the direction, the editing or those stupid illustrations effect they use at the opening of the movie (which was a warning sign) and throughout the rest of the movie in weird places. Maybe the director was trying to be "arty" and "different" like a lot of young artists try to do without having a keen understanding of why things are "traditional" as a guide to what is groundbreaking versus what is plain stupid.And what was with that freaky guy dressed in the eagle costume?The timeline was also annoying. It went from past to present, but since there is not a firm ground on who the characters are in the first place or why they are together, the flashbacks are indistinguishable and/or just annoying. This movie doesn't even have a good soundtrack to make up for the pain.Don't even ask about character development, consistency or believability. It doesn't exist in this film. Save yourself. Don't bother.

Fisher Stevens directs a brilliant cast in a quirky dark comedy about the attraction and ultimately the pitfalls of infidelity. The clever use of animation along with the live action enhances the appeal of the film which a variation on the theme of the french movie "La Ronde" and the American take off of that picture "Moulin Rouge." Ron Eldard and Kryra Sedgwick are excellent as the protaganists in the movie but Marisa Tomei as the "Force of Darkness" is brilliant in every scene she's in. A must see!!!!!!!