Film Festival 09 - Kisses
Kisses
Ireland 2008, 76m
Director: Lance Daly
Festivals: Locarno, Toronto, London 2008; San Francisco 2009
A contemporary Irish fairytale about two runaway kids who spend a
night in Dublin, Kisses begins in grim black and white the way The
Wizard of Oz begins in Kansas. A few days before Christmas
12-year-old Dylan evades his violent father with the help of Kylie,
his friend next door. The two head to town to find Dylan's brother.
Their adventure is laced with magic - they spend their stolen dosh
on wheelies and zip through the streets as if on enchanted shoes -
and fraught with danger. The strengthening rapport of young
newcomers Kelly O'Neill, all bravado and bad language, and Shane
Curry, not so plucky, gives the film its glow. Dylan's namesake Bob
contributes generously to the soundtrack to clinch the affecting
mix of soulfulness and grit. - BG. "[Director] Daly catches the
spirit of two resourceful kids who have a lot of gumption to go
with their grave suspicion of grownups, and his two young stars are
unforgettable." - Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter
www.kisses.ie
