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The Films of John Dahl

Kill Me Again

Red Rock West

The Last Seduction

Unforgettable

Rounders

Joy Ride

The Great Raid

You Kill Me (June 30/07)

Though You Kill Me does contain many of the elements that one generally associates with John Dahl's films - including shady characters, darkly comedic asides, and unexpectedly brutal bursts of violence - it quickly becomes clear that the director just doesn't possess the sort of light-hearted, overtly comedic temperament demanded by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely's screenplay. The story - which follows an alcoholic hitman (Ben Kingsley's Frank) as he moves to San Francisco and falls in love with a sassy local (Tea Leoni's Laurel) - has been infused with several exceedingly unconventional bits of business, and while Dahl initially succeeds in sustaining the viewer's interest, there comes a point at which the relentlessly quirky atmosphere becomes oppressive. Consequently, there's no denying that the melancholic third act doesn't quite possess the emotional resonance that one imagines it should, and the movie is similarly saddled with an uneven vibe that only gets more noticeable as the story progresses. And although the performances are admittedly quite effective - Kingsley, iffy accent issues aside, is particularly good here - You Kill Me is ultimately undone by its inherently schizophrenic nature (Marcelo Zarvos grating, accordion-heavy score only exacerbates the film's various problems).

out of

© David Nusair