Review of Kiss the Girls (1997) by James O — 20 May 2011

Morgan Freeman who portrays Alex Cross a F.B.I. Forensic Psychologist gets personally involved in a North Carolina serial killer case in when his niece Naomi is suspected to be the serial killer ?Casanova? latest victim. Shortly after his arrival in Raleigh, N.C. Ashley Judd?s character, a beautiful young intern named Kate Tiernan is abducted from her home and discovers that she is not alone in her dank musty cellblock. Her kidnapper ?Casanova? has several other women imprisoned in his dungeon. Kate manages to fight off her abductor as he tries to sedate her with drugs then escapes in into the surrounding woods. Casanova pursues her through the forest to the edge of a steep cliff. Kate battles the drugs he gave her then in desperation chooses to jump into the river below to elude recapture. After she rescued from the river by fishermen and recovers from her injuries, and unbeknownst the F.B.I. Kate and Alex join forces in a personal quest to find, identify, and apprehend the killer. So they may rescue his niece Naomi and the rest of Casanova?s captive harem of sex slaves.

The Transformation of Kate Tierman from a victim into a heroine was an intriguing twist; however, it would have been more believable if her character displayed a bit more rage and recklessness than her more seasoned professional F.B I. agent. Kate was portrayed as if she was one of Alex?s F.B.I. peers rather than his necessary tagalong sidekick.

As the plot thickened new villains were introduced, I lost track of who is the real villain was. Cross deduces that there may be correlation between the Casanova killer in North Carolina and serial killer in California called the ?Gentlemen?. This is where the wheels come off the wagon the new idea that two serial killers coexist and are collaborating across country as mentor and mentoree seemed a bit farfetched. To muddy water even further they introduce a third party who was arrested by local police in Raleigh, N.C. This guy seemed to have incriminating evidence against him in his home. When Cross interrogates the third guy he smugly flaunts privileged information about his niece Naomi. Who is this guy? Why does he know so much? And who is the real villain? It really was quite confusing.

The set did nothing to make the film believable. Am I to believe that buried under the North Carolina landscape there are old abandon plantation storage catacombs that a sadistic serial killer can use to live and house women over years? Even the locals where surprised when they discover them while doing research at the library.

The best part about the move was only mildly amusing at best and had nothing to do with the writing, directing, acting or the cinematography. The simple contrast of the personal technology between 1997 and that we take for granted today. Watching the F.B.I. agents in this film reach for their ringing pagers, pulling up the antenna on a bulky cell phone, or quickly try to locate the nearest pay phone added a element of nostalgia that only time can script.