Once upon a time, with the songs of “musical god” Bob Dylan as the background theme, “Kisses” brings us into the explosive young lives of two neighbor children - eleven year old Dylan (a namesake?) and ten year old Kylie – living in a poor area outside of Dublin. The story is basic – they run away from home, spend a night in Dublin, and return home the next day. Why did they leave? How was their first experience of Ireland’s capital? Did they have to return?
Dylan is a lonely child who lives with his parents and is tormented by other boys for being quiet and liking electronic games. Kylie lives with siblings and a single mother and is teased by older girls about her feelings for Dylan. Their world is full of the ranges of abuse – emotional, physical, sexual. When Dylan’s father chases him in the house to do physical harm, it is Kylie who gets a ladder and rescues him from a sure beating. Off they run to the river and their means of escape is a passing dredger. Though the Captain refuses Kylie’s request for the children to join him, Kylie goes ahead and jumps on the dredger and after hesitation and a mishap, Dylan also comes aboard the dredger. Now their adventure begins.
It is the Captain who introduces the children to the music of Bob Dylan with a rendition of “Shelter From The Storm”. And shelter from the misery is what the Captain gives the children on the trip to Dublin, as well as the chance to play and laugh. On arrival in Dublin, the children set out on a quest – Dylan’s older brother Barry ran away two years prior and all they have is a name of a street to try and find him. Ultimately their quest fails, but along the way they experience good – new clothes, wheelies, musicians, adults who are helpful – and bad – hunger, separation, a dead body, adults who are harmful. From these adventures a closer connection between Kylie and Dylan is forged. In fact Dylan returns the rescue favor by saving Kylie from “The Sack Man”. Monsters also reside in Dublin. Morning comes and it’s time to return to the known horrors they can handle.
“Kisses” is structured as home – Dublin – home with both home segments shot in black and white, while the Dublin section is shot in color. The color delineation between the segments is subtle and you slowly realize you are viewing a new palette. Transitioning from one world to another doesn’t have definite boundaries. Kylie is fearless and keeps fighting for what she needs. Girl power. Dylan is assuredly the passive one and gives up easily. Even with the new bond between them, I am not sure that Dylan and Kylie would be together if we return to their story five years from now. One unexpected aspect of the film is the use of subtitles. The film is in English and so are the sporadic subtitles – guess it was thought the Irish accents would be troublesome. For the most part they weren’t. However, the use of language in the film is very direct and raw by all the characters. If hearing children speak adult language bothers you, then “Kisses” is not for you. But they are speaking the language of their lives. If “Kisses” is a contemporary fairy tale, I’m afraid there’s no happily ever after for Dylan and Kylie back in the environment from which they briefly left. Let’s hope there’s a fairy godmother/godfather in their future. Or perhaps they will leave again when they are truly ready to do so. Once upon a time. . .
Film Facts: Director/Writer/Producer/Cinematographer: Lance Daly, Cinematographers: Jake Corbett, David Grennan, Editor: J. Patrick Duffner, Musician: GoBlimpsGo, Producers: Donna Eperon, Macdara Kelleher, Les Kelly, Nial O’Brien, Production Company: Fastnet Films
Film Type: Drama, Cast: Kelly O’Neill (Kylie), Shane Curry (Dylan), Paul Roe (Dylan’s Da), Neili Conroy (Dylan’s Ma), David Bendito (Dredger Captain), Elizabeth Fuh (Gardiner street girl), Cathy Malone (Kylie’s Ma), Jose Jimenez (Busker), Willie Higgins (The Sack Man), Sean McDonagh (Uncle Maurice), Stephanie Kelly (Kylie’s sister), Gerry Moore (Roadie), Hilda Fay (Anita), Elga Fox (Ban Garda), Stephen Rea (Down Under Dylan), Length: 72’, Language: English, Country: Ireland, Year: 2008
Official Site
Ireland release date Friday 21 November 2008
United States release date Friday 16 July 2010
Film Trailer
Dylan is a lonely child who lives with his parents and is tormented by other boys for being quiet and liking electronic games. Kylie lives with siblings and a single mother and is teased by older girls about her feelings for Dylan. Their world is full of the ranges of abuse – emotional, physical, sexual. When Dylan’s father chases him in the house to do physical harm, it is Kylie who gets a ladder and rescues him from a sure beating. Off they run to the river and their means of escape is a passing dredger. Though the Captain refuses Kylie’s request for the children to join him, Kylie goes ahead and jumps on the dredger and after hesitation and a mishap, Dylan also comes aboard the dredger. Now their adventure begins.
It is the Captain who introduces the children to the music of Bob Dylan with a rendition of “Shelter From The Storm”. And shelter from the misery is what the Captain gives the children on the trip to Dublin, as well as the chance to play and laugh. On arrival in Dublin, the children set out on a quest – Dylan’s older brother Barry ran away two years prior and all they have is a name of a street to try and find him. Ultimately their quest fails, but along the way they experience good – new clothes, wheelies, musicians, adults who are helpful – and bad – hunger, separation, a dead body, adults who are harmful. From these adventures a closer connection between Kylie and Dylan is forged. In fact Dylan returns the rescue favor by saving Kylie from “The Sack Man”. Monsters also reside in Dublin. Morning comes and it’s time to return to the known horrors they can handle.
“Kisses” is structured as home – Dublin – home with both home segments shot in black and white, while the Dublin section is shot in color. The color delineation between the segments is subtle and you slowly realize you are viewing a new palette. Transitioning from one world to another doesn’t have definite boundaries. Kylie is fearless and keeps fighting for what she needs. Girl power. Dylan is assuredly the passive one and gives up easily. Even with the new bond between them, I am not sure that Dylan and Kylie would be together if we return to their story five years from now. One unexpected aspect of the film is the use of subtitles. The film is in English and so are the sporadic subtitles – guess it was thought the Irish accents would be troublesome. For the most part they weren’t. However, the use of language in the film is very direct and raw by all the characters. If hearing children speak adult language bothers you, then “Kisses” is not for you. But they are speaking the language of their lives. If “Kisses” is a contemporary fairy tale, I’m afraid there’s no happily ever after for Dylan and Kylie back in the environment from which they briefly left. Let’s hope there’s a fairy godmother/godfather in their future. Or perhaps they will leave again when they are truly ready to do so. Once upon a time. . .
Film Facts: Director/Writer/Producer/Cinematographer: Lance Daly, Cinematographers: Jake Corbett, David Grennan, Editor: J. Patrick Duffner, Musician: GoBlimpsGo, Producers: Donna Eperon, Macdara Kelleher, Les Kelly, Nial O’Brien, Production Company: Fastnet Films
Film Type: Drama, Cast: Kelly O’Neill (Kylie), Shane Curry (Dylan), Paul Roe (Dylan’s Da), Neili Conroy (Dylan’s Ma), David Bendito (Dredger Captain), Elizabeth Fuh (Gardiner street girl), Cathy Malone (Kylie’s Ma), Jose Jimenez (Busker), Willie Higgins (The Sack Man), Sean McDonagh (Uncle Maurice), Stephanie Kelly (Kylie’s sister), Gerry Moore (Roadie), Hilda Fay (Anita), Elga Fox (Ban Garda), Stephen Rea (Down Under Dylan), Length: 72’, Language: English, Country: Ireland, Year: 2008
Official Site
Ireland release date Friday 21 November 2008
United States release date Friday 16 July 2010
Film Trailer
Images:
Left: Kelly O’Neill as Kylie and Shane Curry as Dylan from the website outnow.ch
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Kisses” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Kisses” poster from the website movieclock.com
Below: “Reel Rewind” logo created by Adrean Darce Brent
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