There was a time I absolutely loved Ben Kingsley. Not in the Biblical sense mind you, but in the sense that he was such a phenomenal actor that his presence always guaranteed you'd be seeing a great film. But there came a point in his career where he seemed as though he started taking just about any job that came his way. Not that his acting talent suffered, but many of he films he was in would be as bad as the fright wigs and metallic robes that he would end up dressed in. This is why I now tend to more carefully gravitate to his films, hoping that the ones I choose are worth my time and his effort. Recently I sat back to watch "You Kill Me", in which Kingsley takes on the role of an assassin. Having stepped into the part of a gangster many a time, usually to good effect, I hoped that this would be one of his better movies. Add to that the fact that he was wearing a leather jacket and cap on the cover of the DVD and not a fright wig or metallic robe and I took that as a good sign.

Directed by John Dahl, "You Kill Me" introduces us to Frank Falenczyk (Kingsley), an aging Polish hit-man for the mob. His tendency to drink heavily leads to his screwing up too many hits, and Frank's reputation takes a nosedive. He is sent away, given a job as a funeral home assistant and expected to stay out of the picture. Unfortunately there are those who don’t believe in letting bygones be bygones and Frank soon finds himself to be a target.

What makes "You Kill Me" work is that it is more of a comedy. Kingsley's blank expressions in some of the direst situations are actually quite hysterical, even if the movie itself isn't quite that funny. Tea Leoni adds a nice dash of sarcastic humor as Laurel, a girl he meets at an AA meeting. She has a bit of a penchant for the grisly, so when she finds out what Frank did for a living, she becomes… interested…

"You Kill Me" is not what I would call a great film; there are a lot of bits that don’t work. The casting of Luke Wilson as a gay tollbooth operator seems a bit forced, as do some of the peripheral players. However, Kingsley has a comic timing that I would normally find odd in such a great dramatic actor and he plays it well. He and Leoni, who also has a great flair for comedy, make a good team. It is their performances that save the film from mediocrity.

The DVD for "You Kill Me" includes a commentary track by Director John Dahl and Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely which is fairly by the book. It is interesting only if you really end up liking the movie. There is also a behind the scenes featurette and a look at the film's visual effects (of which I didn't realize there were so many).

Directed by: John Dahl
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Tea Leoni, Luke Wilson, Dennis Farina
Extras: Behind the Scenes, Commentary by Director John Dahl and Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Before and After Visual Effects Comparison, Theatrical Trailer
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Genius Entertainment
Release Date: 10/9/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Language and Some Violence)
Website
Website

We'll give You Kill Me a B.