| You Kill Me | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | John Dahl |
| Written by | Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Jeffrey Jur |
| Edited by | Scott Chestnut |
| Music by | Marcelo Zarvos |
| Distributed by | IFC Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4 million |
| Box office | $3.7 million[1] |
You Kill Me is 2007 crime comedy film directed by John Dahl and starring Ben Kingsley, Téa Leoni, Luke Wilson, and Dennis Farina.[2]
Frank Falenczyk is a hit man for his Polish mob family in Buffalo, New York. He has a drinking problem, as a result of which he messes up the critical assignment of preventing Eddie O'Leary from a rival family getting on a train bound for New York and organise the Chinese against them in town.
As this has put the family business in peril, Frank's uncle Roman Krzeminski, head of the family, sends him to San Francisco to get on AA. If he doesn't, he will no longer work for the family.
At his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, Falenczyk ducks out early and comes face-to-face with Dave, Roman's contact. He forces him to accept a job at a funeral parlour. Frank meets Laurel Pearson, a quirky client he meets at the funeral home when she comes by to drop shoes off for her deceased stepfather. At the funeral, he gets up the nerve to ask her for coffee. Frank's sponsor warns him that AA and dating might not mix.
Visiting his sponsor Tom as he collects tolls at a booth, Frank confesses his job, explaining that he wants to be free of his drinking problem because it's affecting his ability to kill effectively.
Meanwhile, as an upstart Irish gang threatens the family snow-plowing business, Frank's cousin Stef calls, unhappy his partner and kid are going to Florida, where it's safer.
When an Irish family have a wake in the parlour, Frank is pressured into falling off the wagon. In doing so, he forgets dinner at Laurel's. When the wake is over, he offers to drive a couple home in their car. As Frank and the woman wait for her husband to take a leak, she reclines his seat back to kiss him, his foot hits the gas and they crash. He was knocked unconscious, so the woman lies, saying he kissed her and the old man pulls him out onto a rainy street and leaves him in a puddle.
The next morning, after Frank tells Laurel how he fell off the wagon, he takes her to an AA meeting. He tells his story for the first time, and is open about his profession. His sponsor Tom is supportive, and the other AA members are stunned, but don't come down on him. On a bowling date, a curious Laurel continues to try understand how he got into the job, the logistics. As they get closer, Frank shows her his scrupulous records, and he tries to make token restitution by sending gift cards to the families whose loved one he killed unnecessarily badly because he was drunk.
Dave approaches Frank, asking him to do something about a building inspector who insists a building his real estate agency could make millions on be torn down as it's not earthquake safe. After going through some retraining to sharpen his skills, Laurel encourages him to take the job. Presenting himself to Supervisor Davis in his office in his skivvies, Frank pressures him. As a last resort he pulls his gun on him, but is successful in preserving the building.
Frank celebrates his homicide-free success with Tom and Laurel, and she chooses not to stay over. He falls off the wagon again as he feels alone. Dave comes up to him in a bar, thanking him for his help, then calling him a loser and paying his drinks. Arriving home, Frank sees Laurel is waiting for him but he hides his drunken self from her.
When violence erupts in Buffalo and his uncle and two other family members are gunned down, Frank returns home to face the rival Irish gang and help Stef. With assistance from Laurel, he manages to suppress them. Finally getting his revenge on O'Leary, he returns to San Francisco. With support from Laurel, Stef and Tom, Frank celebrates getting his one year chip at AA.
The film was well received by critics, and maintains a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3] The consensus reads, "Featuring wonderful performances from Ben Kingsley and Tea Leoni, You Kill Me is a charming, funny take on the familiar inner-lives-of-hit-men premise."
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Films directed by John Dahl
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