The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 6, 1997 - 9A Girls' kisses up to genre's conventions Though not quite 'Seven,' latest serial-killer thriller makes for wild ride By Joshua Pederson Fo the Daily In my mind, the genre of the serial iller movie has been defined, at least Wst recently, by "Seven." For this rea- son, all movies of this type must ulti- mately be measured by the standard that "Seven" set back in 1995. So by casting Morgan Freeman as the hero of a ttriller of this y type, the creators of "Kiss the Girls" just begging for rawn. RE At Brie parallels to be What, then, has placed "Seven" at the pinnacle of the modern field? First of all, it has a plot that is both original and intelligent. The viewer r must be kept interested. In this respect, "Kiss the Girls" succeeds brilliantly. Based on the novel of the same name written by James Patterson, it is the story of a detec- *e - played by Freeman - who is drawn into a seeming serial murder case by the disappearance of his niece. The plot takes a unique twist upon the audience's discovery that the antag- onist is not technically a serial killer. He is more correctly described as a serial lover of sorts. He collects talented, Ight) Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd star as Detective Alex Cross and Dr. Kate McTleman, respectively, in Gary Fleder's "Kiss the Girls." (Below) Ashley Judd's performance In the film leaves much to be desired. beautiful, young women for his "gallery." But a solely interesting plot doesn't cut it. A film must engage the view- er's intelligence as well. While the audience is drawn into the distorted psyche of "Seven"'s killer by his deranged view of V I E W Justice, it is intrigued, in "Kiss ss the Girls the Girls," by the collector's twisted t** conception of arwood and Showcase love. Calling him- self "Casanova," he is motivated to his heinous master plan, in many ways, by a need to be needed. The audience must be able to iden- tify with some corner of the enemy's mind in order to spurn the necessary hatred. Looking to accomplish this goal early in the film, the opening credits are a chilling illustration of the collector's mindset. In a time when opening credits are too often thrown away with a pointless display of computer animation, the first five minutes of "Kiss the Girls" give a strong start to a mentally captivating plot. Next, the story must keep the viewer guessing. The closing scene of "Seven" offers a frightening closure to a baffling film. In this trait, "Kiss the Girls" does not fare so well. To the connoisseur of suspense thrillers, the film may prove to be incredibly predictable. So, as a viewer, make a game of it. First, see if you can pick out the collector within the film's first 10 minutes. Second, choose which of Freeman's sidekicks will be gunned down at the movie's halfway point. Third, decide beforehand how many times Kate (Ashley Judd), the kick boxing heroine, will beat the living tar out of the collec- tor. The scene that may puzzle you most is the last one, the final confrontation between hero and villain. Try to figure out how, and if, Freeman will escape the crisis. If none of the other scenes were suspenseful to this point, this one will keep you squirming, if only for a moment. As with any production, a strong cast goes a long way to the creation of a good movie. "Seven" fulfills this requirement brilliantly. And while not up to the level of its forerunner, the cast of "Kiss the Girls" is respectable. If choosing Freeman as the film's lead must necessarily cause compar- isons to be drawn to "Seven," it is a risk wisely taken. Every time comments arise as to Freeman's age, he takes a role where he is more the action hero than his last. To everyone taking the "too old" stance, just look for his "Shaft" scenes, and all critics must be inevitably silenced. His physical pres- ence is matched only by his acting ability. His characterization of Cross is flawless. Ashley Judd is adequate, though not equal to Freeman's performance. Having escaped the collector's prison, she is jarringly affected, and then just as suddenly cool and collected. Her pre- sentation is decent, but somewhat unbe- lievable. Just as in "Seven," discovering the actor playing the killer is a bit of a surprise. So as not to ruin the movie's ending, the collector's identity will remain unknown for now. In this char- acter, the voice is the aspect that makes the psycho, and the actor behind the mask alters his very appro- priately. So, while Morgan Freeman's reprise as astute forensic psychologist may not live up to the first, it is exceptional. And while the movie as a whole does not match the disturbing excellence of "Seven," "Kiss the Girls" is a good attempt at the genre that its predecessor defined. Its strong points far outweigh its flaws, making it definitely worth the trip. Morgan Freeman gives a compelling performance In "KISS the Girls." ~\ A. . Sunday, October 19 8:00 pm Hill Auditonum Tickets available at the Michigan Union Ticket Offie Charge by phone 763-TKTS A Major Events/Division of Student Affaio presentation http://www.umich.edu/-mevents RESPONSIBILITY CHALLENGE AND THE CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ZS ASSOCIATES IS AN INTERNATIONAL .MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRM! DEDICATED TO HIELPING COM PANIES ACHI!EVE LONG LASTING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN MARKETING AND SALES. ZS WILL BE ON CAMlPUS RECRUITING Business Associates Operations Research Analysts Business Information Specialists Software Developers STOP BY TIlE ZS BOOT! AND VISIT WITI OUR REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, October 7 Michigan Union To Srm) Rscui.:s Or OrntOFFI(E:Fs I\I( )RMATION: ZS A. )Clif.!$ bvmistron, Illinois CIWHtoLI Rc',urvs !'fimmeonl~I t Jcr' I 1800sOO lunncoz Amttic .UndoI()Park, Califtontil Evin IL 60201 TEl 847492,3600 Readitg, Eoan, F-.1: 47.492.3409 Fmnnktrt,, (knnam E.11111 1itrzsiussrxirtecs.con, tParis France: * ATTENTION!!! ALL MARKETING AND SALES MAJORS VARCO would like to invite you to stop by and meet us at the Job Fair at the Michigan Union on October 7. For over a century, UARCO has sold commercial printing, paper- based forms, and electronic forms. We're currently look- ing for people with energy and enthusiasm to join our sales force. If you are unable to join us at the fair, please for- ward your resume to: David Swirnoff, UARCO, 700 West Main Street, Barrington, IL 60010. Fax: (847) 381-8754. 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