[Movies] The Long Kiss Goodnight

Upon the promptings of my partner, we managed to pick up a copy of The Long Kiss Goodnight during one of our DVD runs. He had seen the movie some time back and was keen on making me see it as well. Given how our tastes on movies are highly similar, naturally I trusted him and was looking forward to finally seeing the movie.

Fast forward a few weeks and we found ourselves sitting in front of the TV wondering what to watch when he prompted that we finally watch our copy of the movie. Given I'm generally open to most films and had no particular "movie cravings" at the time, I agreed and was certainly not disappointed.

The Long Kiss Goodnight is all about amnesiac housewife Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) who has no idea who she was 5 years prior. After appearing as Mrs. Claus in a Christmas Parade on TV, elements from her past begin to resurface and come looking for her and the only ally she has is the private detective she had hired to investigate her past, Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson). It is soon revealed that apparently she was some sort of assassin for hire in her past and of course that provides a lot of the entertainment value.

The movie is a action-drama at its core with light comedic elements. The first movie that came to mind when I started watching it was True Lies, not so much because of the whole secret agent bit but more for its showcase of somewhat older actresses looking amazing in their prime. For True Lies it was Jamie Lee Curtis. For The Long Kiss Goodnight it was Geena Davis.

The movie has a lot of elements we see in more recent action films - Samuel L. Jackson mouthing off and sounding both intelligent and ruthless at the same time, exotic women and strong women who can kill you without blinking. It makes for a very entertaining collection of elements but not necessarily the most thought-provoking film in recent history.

There were parts that I found the pacing a bit awkward, as if the writers / weren't quite sure what to do there so they added odd moments of exposition and weak plot development. Then again, it's an action film first before it's a drama so I suppose you can't expect all that much. It still makes for a great Saturday night movie with friends, lots of popcorn and the sound turned way up and it's a worthwhile addition to any film collection.