KISSED
A film review by Alex Fung
Copyright 1996 Alex Fung
Starring Molly Parker, Peter Outerbridge, Jay Brazeau, Natasha Morley Screenplay by Angus Fraser and Lynne Stopkewich, based on the short story by Barbara Gowdy Produced by Dean English and Lynne Stopkewich Directed by Lynne Stopkewich Running time: 78 minutes
Me: **** (out of four stars)
Note: Some may consider portions of the following text to
be spoilers. Be forewarned.
It's tough to make a thoughtful and tasteful film about a taboo subject like necrophilia, rather than simply taking the easy way out via an exploitation film or going for shock value. Eschewing a brazenly outrageous or exploitive tact on the film's decidedly taboo subject matter, Lynne Stopkewich's first feature film KISSED is a magnificent, beautiful piece of work, wonderfully written, acted, and shot.
Even as a child, Sandra Larson (played by Natasha Morley as a child; Molly Parker portrays the adult Sandra) is fascinated by the beauty and stillness of death, collecting dead rodents and other small animals from the woods in order to perform intricate rituals. Sandra strips, dances, and lovingly caresses the dead animals against herself in order to claim their essence before carefully burying them.
Years pass, but Sandra's interest remains. Quitting her job at a flower shop, she gets a job at a funeral parlour and studies embalming. She gets a boyfriend too, Matt (played by Peter Outerbridge), a young medical student taking some time off. When Sandra reveals her secret to him, Matt's reaction is not that of disgust or horror, but curiousity. His passion for Sandra eventually spins out of control, leading to an inevitable conclusion which is poetic and poignant.
Molly Parker gives a sensational performance as Sandra. With her photogenic freckled features and natural screen presence, she makes a compelling, engaging lead, and her take on her character is intriguing. Sandra is, for all intents and purposes, the girl next door (albeit a little quiet and withdrawn) with a striking little character quirk. Parker's dreamy narration throughout KISSED perfectly suits the tone of the film, and her timid mannerisms are wonderfully executed. She's a real revelation.
The screenplay for KISSED is wonderfully written - sparse, well-paced, classy, and very clever. There are well-timed moments of dry humour, such as many of the scenes with Sandra's funeral parlour boss, and in an argument Sandra has with Matt, where she blurts out "I don't fuck everything that's dead!" It's particularly impressive that the screenwriters didn't succumb to the temptation to get overly clever with the plot, and allowed the film to flow to its natural conclusion.
Stopkewich's poised direction of the film is first-rate and demonstrates remarkable proficiency for a debut feature. The film was clearly lovingly crafted, with virtually every shot well laid out; it's a stunningly beautiful film to watch. There's an incredibly surreal feel to the film, aided in part by the cool lighting as shot by cinematographer Gregory Middleton, and the music for KISSED, as handled by Don MacDonald, is orchestrated perfectly.
KISSED simply will not be to everyone's taste. Despite being a completely tasteful film, there will be those who simply will not accept a film whose lead character is a necrophiliac, and will have the preconceived notion of a groteseque, disturbing film. My condolesences go to them, as they're missing a great movie. I'm keeping my eyes out for Lynne Stopkewich's next project.
-- Alex Fung (aw220@freenet.carleton.ca)
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