You are reading this because you like fight films, no doubt, and you will be happy with Kiss of the Dragon. Watch it.
As good as Jet Li is at holding up his end, Bridget Fonda shines brightly as a low-end hooker which does not sound promising. Amidst all the guy talk, guns and fist fights, Bridget carries her story moment by moment without dead air. It's curious. The role is not especially rich, but it is big. On paper it must reek of cliché, but you would not know it.
Hair, costume, and makeup are commendable and seem as sleazy as they must be, but actor and director do not play to the sleaze. This is not the "Pretty Woman" fantasy hooker. How could she carry dignity as a failed hooker? It's interesting. Bridget let's her character succeed at failing.
The real story is about something else anyway that makes her situation desperate, but you don't see desperate. As most writers position their characters to be in such situations, actors get sucked into playing the desperation. Bridget does not play desperate. She plays someone trying very, very hard not to appear and not to feel desperate.
As a hooker, she needs to be attractive in the hookerish' fashion, but she just can't seem to succeed in that role in life. Being a failure as a hooker ends up being very attractive for a desperate mother as long as it's all well acted.
I remembered a discussion I once had about Marlan Brando dying in the GodFather trilogy. Most actors would die. That's what the text says happens, but Marlan's Godfather fought to stay on his feet, to stay alive. He pulled the tomato plants down trying to stay up.
Bridget's Jessica seems out of place as a hooker, yet believable as mother who has to focus, who has to be present, and honest and courageous. In the end she is as amazing as Jet Li which says a lot. He had all the amazing fights, smashing, head busting action scenes as the title and genre promise. Together they feel just right. You can't help but love her and root for her, too, even though she is "B" story, or is she?
As good as Jet Li is at holding up his end, Bridget Fonda shines brightly as a low-end hooker which does not sound promising. Amidst all the guy talk, guns and fist fights, Bridget carries her story moment by moment without dead air. It's curious. The role is not especially rich, but it is big. On paper it must reek of cliché, but you would not know it.
Hair, costume, and makeup are commendable and seem as sleazy as they must be, but actor and director do not play to the sleaze. This is not the "Pretty Woman" fantasy hooker. How could she carry dignity as a failed hooker? It's interesting. Bridget let's her character succeed at failing.
The real story is about something else anyway that makes her situation desperate, but you don't see desperate. As most writers position their characters to be in such situations, actors get sucked into playing the desperation. Bridget does not play desperate. She plays someone trying very, very hard not to appear and not to feel desperate.
As a hooker, she needs to be attractive in the hookerish' fashion, but she just can't seem to succeed in that role in life. Being a failure as a hooker ends up being very attractive for a desperate mother as long as it's all well acted.
I remembered a discussion I once had about Marlan Brando dying in the GodFather trilogy. Most actors would die. That's what the text says happens, but Marlan's Godfather fought to stay on his feet, to stay alive. He pulled the tomato plants down trying to stay up.
Bridget's Jessica seems out of place as a hooker, yet believable as mother who has to focus, who has to be present, and honest and courageous. In the end she is as amazing as Jet Li which says a lot. He had all the amazing fights, smashing, head busting action scenes as the title and genre promise. Together they feel just right. You can't help but love her and root for her, too, even though she is "B" story, or is she?