Review of A Kiss Before Dying (1991) by Alison O — 29 Jul 2005

Best in Show: Matt Dillon.

One for the future: Matt Dillon.

Stand-out scene: Ending.

Brainer or no-brainer: No brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: One.

DVD commentary any good?: n/a.

TV.

Reports of how Sean Youg's divaesque behaviour consigned her to the Z list are many and having seen this dated pile of tripe I can see why she was banished to obscurity (discounting her Ace Ventura cameo). I don't know if she was aiming for a 'Hollywood Golden Years' approach to her first few scenes but the result is some of the hammiest acting since Babe: Pig in the City hit the big screen. The woodenness is unbelievable for a movie from the early nineties and Young must cringe when (or if she dares to) she watches this back. Based on the 1957 original starring Robert Wagner, it's the tale of an unscrupulous wannabe determined to get his hands on the fortune of a copper magnate (Max Von Sydow), whatever the bodycount. Having seduced one of his daughters, Dorothy, her unplanned pregnancy means that doubts are cast over whether his ultra-conservative father will disown her and she has to go. Unfortunately, the deaths don't stop there as her sister Ellen's (also Young) determination to find her sisters' killer continues. Matt Dillon has forged a career of mostly non-mainstream decent fare and he must have done this for the money and the money alone because his is the only spark of talent that in any sense of the word shines in this poor remake. It's a shame because the story in itself is a good one which deserves to be delivered on a proper platform. Unfortunately in trying to recapture a 'Golden age of Hollywood' feel, the material falls flat on its face and scenes that should be tense are laughable. I, for one, couldn't wait for the whole sorry mess to come to an end.