Great crime films usually come in pairs. Scorsese did both Goodfellas and Casino with virtually the same cast. Brick and Alpha Dog both tackle teen crime stories. One could even watch New Jack City and Blow together for a look at drug kingpins through two turbulent times. So a good crime caper times two is always a good night in front of the television as High Heels and Low Lifes with a side order of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang does wonders for the funny bone.
Director: Mel Smith
Notable Cast Members: Minnie Driver, Mary McCormack
Synopsis: Two best girlfriends living in London suddenly find themselves battling wits with seasoned criminals when they decide to blackmail the culprits of a bank heist in their neighborhood rather than reporting the crime to the police.
Director: Shane Black
Notable Cast Members: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen
Synopsis: A petty thief posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl and a detective who’s been training him for his upcoming role
Connecting Points: It’s easy to try and poke fun at crime films, as like any genre they have their own clichés and trademarks that are easily imitatable. Films like Epic Movie have been made en masse because of the easy jokes of riffing on genres. Being a great riff on a crime film while also being a great crime movie connects both films together for one experience. They riff on the same sorts of things prevalent in crime films
Ideal Audience: Crime films are only enjoyable with two types of audiences: good friends and potential significant others. Anything else is just uncivilized.
Ideal Setting: Both films have enough subversive humor to it that a date, or grabbing some brews amongst the friends. Looking for a clever way to see some good films with a girl on date #3 or #4? Then either, or both, of these films are pretty much in the wheelhouse. Crime films are usually not the forte of most women, but the female protagonists of the former and the decidedly non-archetypal heroes of the latter give an ideal setting. Plus 90% of people haven’t heard of High Heels and Low Lifes or Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, since both were indy flicks which found cult audiences on DVD. British comedies make you seem smarter and more refined when you suggest them; try it. Cult films are also a great thing to share between people; films that haven’t found an audience usually find them because of people willing to share their discovery with others.
Outtro: Finding a good crime film is easy to find, a pair slightly more difficult, but finding two good ones that can impressive friends and fans alike is no easy task. With serious, great crime films coming out at least once a year since the start of the 21st century, there’s nothing like a good crime caper to lighten the mood.
