moonspinner55 Review of Killer's Kiss

Killer's Kiss (1955)

Early, low-budget Kubrick...and fascinating for being precisely that

[5/10 · 27 April 2008]

Moody film noir has boxer Frank Silvera becoming involved with his comely neighbor (Irene Kane, later known as film critic Chris Chase); she's being harassed by her gangster boss, whom the boxer eventually crosses paths with. Stanley Kubrick directed (he also wrote the initial treatment, co-produced, edited and photographed the movie!), and he does well with his first full-length feature, although his unerring eye for detail and ambiance outclasses the script and characters. The picture is enjoyable for film-buffs on a minor level (it's a footnote, nothing more), yet the set-ups and camera-work must have seemed high-reaching in 1955. It's a vivid, arresting movie which grabs you by the eyeballs, but the sum total isn't equal to these parts, and half the time there's just not much happening plot-wise. ** from ****