You Kill Me

You Kill Me is one of those quirky little movies that thinks it is much smarter than it actually is. Frank (Ben Kingsley) is an alcoholic hit man for a Polish mob who fucks up a job and is sent packing to San Francisco, where he joins AA, gets a job in a morgue, and falls for an uninhibited broad named Laurel (Téa Leoni). Although he hasn't completely given up his old ways (he tells the AA attendees that he kills people for a living), he does seem to be enjoying a newfound life. Then trouble erupts back home in Buffalo, and he must return to do his thing, this time with a charged-up Leoni packing heat with him. This is pretty much Kingsley's film, despite a colorful supporting cast that includes Luke Wilson (in what seems like his 95th film this year) and a very funny Dennis Farina, who is along for the ride just to insure this thing gets compared to Get Shorty, a much better mob comedy. Problem is, Sir Ben makes some odd acting choices in playing the role, delivering lines in a depressed monotone that's meant to be funny; however, it gets on your nerves quickly. Better than spending your dollars on this, you can get a fine Kingsley fix by renting Sexy Beast, a truly nasty/funny crime drama in which he plays the ultimate thug. Unlike this misfire, that Oscar-nominated performance will really kill you.