LONG KISS GOODNIGHT RATING: 7 /10 --> Good movie
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PLOT: Woman with amnesia is living the life of a simple schoolteacher & doting mother when her memory suddenly jogs up her past as a professional assassin for the US government. Along with the help of a two-bit, wise-cracking gumshoe, she hits the road to discover her true identity.
CRITIQUE: Fun, unique action-thriller finally offers us an interesting female hero who alongside the humorous verbal quips from Sam Jackson, keep the film moving at an entertaining pace, despite a couple of small lulls here and there. I will admit to being biased in this case, since I do generally enjoy action films that are set during Christmas time, but this film should be fun for others as well, since it does offer a cool heroine, some great action sequences, a few over-the-top moments and Sam Jackson firing off jokes left and right. It's obvious that writer Shane Black drew his inspiration from the French classic LA FEMME NIKITA, which is a much deeper film with less humor, but for what this one is, it does okay. Don't expect the greatest action film of all-time, since the movie does seem to plod on at some points, but all in all, it is a fun time at the movies. I especially fell in love with the cooler than cool Casino hotel room that they bunked down in while in Atlantic City. Now THAT'S a room! Great dialogue, much funniness by the way of Jackson's character, some decent action scenes, a good premise, and definitely NOT a film to be taken seriously. If you're looking for mindless fun...look no further than this movie!
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: Writer Shane Black collected $4M for this script. In the first draft of his screenplay, Mitch, the character played by Sam Jackson, died of his wounds. One of my favorite lines in this film came from a Christmas well-wisher who toasted folks along the lines of "This year, I am thankful that I do not drink, smoke or curse....", which he quickly followed up with, "Shit, I DO smoke and drink!". Not sure if this was meant as an inside joke to one of Sam Jackson's most popular character roles (Jules from PULP FICTION), but at one point in this movie, Sam stands there with a gun at and says "I am one bad mutherf**cker". A nod to one of Geena Davis' most popular roles (Thelma from THELMA & LOUISE) came in the form of a scene featuring Davis riding a convertible with sunglasses. The two main characters in this film drink Finlandia Vodka. Director Renny Harlin is from Finland. Director Renny Harlin (Birth name: Lauri Mauritz Harjola) and actress Geena Davis (Birth name: Virginia Elizabeth Davis) were a married couple while making this movie. They separated in 1997. Sam Jackson was nominated for a 1997 Image award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in this film. This film represented actor Craig Bierko's first major movie role. He recently starred in THE 13TH FLOOR (6.5/10), and is apparently dating actress Janeane Garofalo.
Review Date: November 2, 1999 Director: Renny Harlin Writer: Shane Black Producers: Renny Harlin, Shane Black and Stephanie Austin Actors: Geena Davis as Samantha Caine/Charly Samuel L. Jackson as Mitch Henessey Craig Bierko as Timothy Genre: Thriller Year of Release: 1996 --------------------------------------- JoBlo's Movie Emporium http://www.joblo.com --------------------------------------- (c) 1999 Berge Garabedian
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