Director John Dahl resists the urge to overbake the comedy, letting an unexpected undercurrent of pathos give this more heft than it probably deserves.
You Kill Me (2007)
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Reviews Counted:110
Fresh:86
Rotten:24
Average Rating:6.6/10
Consensus: Featuring wonderful performances from Ben Kingsley and Tea Leoni, You Kill Me is a charming, funny take on the familiar inner-lives-of-hit-men premise.
Theatrical Release:Jun 22, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $2,311,434
Synopsis: Cinematic hit men are dual-edged characters who can easily slip into the role of hero or villain, making them an attractive proposition for directors looking to pack an emotional punch. YOU KILL ME... Cinematic hit men are dual-edged characters who can easily slip into the role of hero or villain, making them an attractive proposition for directors looking to pack an emotional punch. YOU KILL ME stars Ben Kingsley (SEXY BEAST) as Frank Falenczyk, a hit man whose work for the Buffalo-based Mafia has been hampered by his hopeless alcoholism. Director John Dahl (THE LAST SEDUCTION) sends his lead character off to San Francisco where Alcoholics Anonymous awaits, as does Dave (Bill Pullman), who helps Frank get an apartment and a job in a mortuary. The job introduces Frank to Laurel (Téa Leoni), whom he begins a relationship with while occasionally falling off the wagon and attending AA meetings. Luke Wilson makes an appearance as a fellow alcoholic who mentors Frank through the program. YOU KILL ME is a wonderful return to form for Dahl, who has struggled to build on his early, noir-inflected career. Kingsley is as reliable as ever in the central role, and he demonstrates an impressive array of emotions as the film progresses. Credit is also due to co-screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely who deliver a tight and hugely enjoyable plot while also adding generous doses of dark humor throughout. Intelligent and fun, YOU KILL ME is likely to gain a strong word-of-mouth reputation as viewers are lured into its fold. [More]
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Téa Leoni, Luke Wilson, Dennis Farina
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Téa Leoni, Luke Wilson, Dennis Farina, Bill Pullman
Director: John Dahl
Director: John Dahl
Screenwriter: Stephen McFeely, Christopher Markus
Producer: Carol Baum, Al Corley
Studio: IFC Films
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Reviews for You Kill Me
As dark comedies go, You Kill Me nearly hits all the right targets, playing like a tongue-in-cheek hybrid of Prizzi's Honor and Clean and Sober.
[Leoni's] collaboration with Kingsley does provide moments of comedic excellence. Too bad those moments don’t add up to enough to save the film from its ponderous messaging.
It’s a small wonder. When was the last time you saw this much talent lent to the story of a man who discovers what it means to really live only after learning he doesn’t need any help from the hard stuff to kill?
There's more comedy in the tale of a drunk assassin than you might expect, and a surprising amount of heart, too.
A strong performance by the reliable Kingsley, and a tartly sweet one from Leoni, keeps You Kill Me from turning into the bad joke the title implies.
It's a smart and fun little romp that doesn't kill so much as tickle and surprise.
At every turn, despite treading familiar territory, You Kill Me stands elevated above the gangster glut.
A film whose deft blend of action thrills and gallows humor packs a jaunty kick and a firing-range boom.
With strong lead performances and sure-footed direction, You Kill Me isn't terrible, it's just not nearly as smart or interesting as it should be or as it seems to think it is.
It's a predictable but acridly pleasant 12-step bonbon: self-help noir.
Along the way there's a good deal of comedy, but it's the sort where you may look around to see if anyone you know caught you laughing.
Given a choice between a dark film with comic elements and a comedy that purports to be edgy, the filmmakers took the easy way out.
After years of working with dreadful filmmakers such as Peter Hyams and Uwe Boll, it's easy to forget just how invaluable Kingsley is to the art of screen performance.
You Kill Me has more natural laughs than any half-dozen recent crime comedies.
Plays quite a bit broader than [Dahl's] earlier work, but the director's sly tone and talent with character actors remains intact. It already feels old, in a good way.
If Dahl's picture won't exactly slay you, the performances make for an oddly diverting little flick.
[The filmmakers] tackle the familiar material with such gleeful zest, thanks in no small part to an extremely game cast, that I didn’t mind that there wasn’t anything on display that I hadn’t already before in one form or another.
Latest News for You Kill Me
October 09, 2007:
RT on DVD: 28 Weeks Later, Reign Over Me, and Surf's Up!
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June 21, 2007:
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May 12, 2007:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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