I always roll my eyes now when I read the blurbs on DVD sleeves - the one for "You Kill Me' said something like 'instant comedy classic'. I admit there were some clever one liners amid the dialog in this one, but it was few and far between, and almost always uttered by Tea Leoni's character in response to alcoholic hit-man Frank Falenczyk (Ben Kingsley). Both Falenczyk and would be romantic interest Laurel Pearson (Leoni) are entirely too one dimensional, and in Laurel's case, practically unbelievable as well. I mean seriously, who takes up with a lover once you learn he's an assassin. And as I think about it now, I don't think the term assassin was used even once in the picture. Frank merely killed people for a living. And then there was the whole business with Alcoholics Anonymous. You mean to tell me not ONE of the attendees at one of those meetings might have actually mentioned to someone on the outside that a killer was among their midst?
Maybe what they ought to do is release the outtakes from this flick. Maybe air out some of those Polish jokes so we could all have a good laugh. Not being politically insensitive here, as I'm Polish myself and I love a good one every now and then. And while we're at it, what's a 'dupayash' anyway? Dupa is the Polish word for 'ass', and also the name of the main character in "Polish Vampire in Burbank". (That one's pretty bad too, but does have it's moments).
Here's what you need to know. If you're ever in Buffalo, New York, take a ride down Sheridan Avenue, and keep an eye out for this huge funeral home. The name of it is AMIGONE, as in AM-I-GONE? Now that's funny.
You Kill Me
2007
Action / Comedy / Crime / Romance / Thriller
You Kill Me
2007
Action / Comedy / Crime / Romance / Thriller
Plot summary
Frank Falenczyk loves his job. He just happens to be the hitman for his Polish mob family in Buffalo, New York. But Frank's got a drinking problem and when he messes up a critical assignment that puts the family business in peril, his uncle sends him to San Francisco to clean up his act. Frank is not a touchy-feely kind of guy, but he starts going to AA meetings, gets a sponsor and a job at a mortuary where he falls for the tart-tongued Laurel, a woman who is dangerously devoid of boundaries. Meanwhile, things aren't going well in Buffalo where an upstart Irish gang is threatening the family business. When violence erupts, Frank is forced to return home and with an unlikely assist from Laurel, faces old rivals on new terms.
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"I don't regret killing them, just killing them badly".
Quirky and cute
Frank Falenczyk (Ben Kingsley) is a hit-man for the Polish mob in Buffalo but the drinking is getting in the way. He is forced to sober up in San Francisco. Tom (Luke Wilson) is his sponsor from AA, and he gets a mortician job. He falls for Laurel Pearson (Téa Leoni) who loves older men because they're done testing.
Ben Kingsley is going deadpan acting in this one. He's especially proud of the precision in his killings. It's not the killing that he regrets. It's the lack of professionalism when he was drinking. It's a quirky character. He, Leoni, and Wilson are all likable people. They talk about the craziest things nonchalantly. It's a rather low energy affair. It's a quirky and cute cast, but they're not necessarily laugh out loud funny. Kingsley is too calm. He needs to play up the wackiness.
Dark offbeat comedy
And when I say/write offbeat (and quirky),I really mean it. It might not be your taste/liking, but this movie has a strange aura around it and it seems as if it moves in it's own pace and rhythm. It's borderline to being ridiculous, but I think it succeeded in walking the (fine) line and delivered!
This of course is achieved mainly with great actors. Ben Kingsley and Tea Leoni foremost. The latter being a real surprise and showing off skills, many might not have expected of her. While many movies are more predictable (this works sometimes for the movie, sometimes against it, also depending on your expectation and liking of the genre),this movie has the flair of the being different surrounding it!