Kiss the Girls *** (1997, Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Cary Elwes, Tony Goldwyn, Bill Nunn, Jeremy Piven, Brian Cox, Mena Suvari, Roma Maffia) – Classic Movie Review 889

The compelling 1997 thriller film Kiss the Girls stars Morgan Freeman as detective Alex Cross, who desperately follows the case in North Carolina of the abduction of his niece. Ashley Judd, Cary Elwes and Brian Cox as Chief Hatfield also star. 

Director Gary Fleder’s compelling 1997 American neo-noir psychological thriller film Kiss the Girls stars Morgan Freeman as Washington DC detective, Alex Cross, who desperately follows the case in North Carolina of the abduction of his niece Naomi (Gina Ravera) by a madman, misogynistic serial killer who styles himself as ‘Casanova’.

The canny cop is helped when another abducted woman, Kate McTiernan (Ashley Judd), a beautiful and intelligent doctor, manages to escape. Another police detective, Nick Ruskin (Cary Elwes), is also chasing after the kidnapper.

Freeman and Judd are both excellent, forming a first-rate team, in this tough-toned but well-made, fast-moving and effective psycho-killer thriller, packed with tense scenes and convincing detail. Fleder ensures that it’s all very taut, scary and excitingly staged.

Tony Goldwyn, Bill Nunn, Jeremy Piven, Jay O Sanders as FBI agent Kyle Craig, Alex McArthur, Mena Suvari, Roma Maffia and Brian Cox as Chief Hatfield also star.

David Klass bases his screenplay on James Patterson’s bestselling 1995 novel.

Principal photography took place from 14 April 1996 to 10 July. The film was shot for two weeks on location in North Carolina, and then with most of filming in the Los Angeles area.

The film premiered at the Deauville Film Festival in September 1997 before opening in the US on 3 October 1997.  It earned $60,527,873 in the US on a budget of $27 million.

Freeman returns as Alex Cross with Jay O Sanders as FBI agent Kyle Craig in the sequel: Along Came a Spider (2001). Tyler Perry played the role in the 2012 movie Alex Cross. Freeman and Judd re-teamed for High Crimes (2002).

The cast are Morgan Freeman as Dr / Detective Alex Cross, Ashley Judd as Dr Kate McTiernan, Cary Elwes as Detective Nick Ruskin, Alex McArthur as Detective Davey Sikes, Bill Nunn as Detective John Sampson, Jeremy Piven as Detective Henry Castillo, Brian Cox as Chief Hatfield, Jay O Sanders as FBI Agent Kyle Craig, Tony Goldwyn as Dr William Rudolph, William Converse-Roberts as Dr Wick Sachs, Roma Maffia as Dr Ruocco, Richard T Jones as Seth Samuel, Gina Ravera as Naomi Cross, Heidi Schanz as Megan Murphy, Tatyana Ali as Janelle Cross, Mena Suvari as Coty Pierce, Anna Maria Horsford as Vickie Cross, and Helen Martin as Nana Maybellene Cross.

Kiss the Girls runs 117 minutes, is made by Rysher Entertainment, is distributed by Paramount Pictures, is scored by Mark Isham, and is designed by Nelson Coates.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 889

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