On July 6, 2010 the film Kisses, directed by Lance Daly, premiered for the first time in the US. The Tribeca Grand hotel filled with a diverse crowd: young, younger, sneakers, stilettos, suits, jeans, dreads, and buzz cuts were all represented. The softly lit lounge and intimate screening room fostered an openness one rarely finds at movie premieres – the audience addressed Daly as an old friend and he reciprocated with a similar familiarity. The open bar may have also contributed to the schmoozing.
We interviewed Daly about Kisses, its potential autobiographical content, and its inspiration, but he refused to give away too many state secrets. A far more interesting conversation was the one Daly and I had off the record, in which he admitted to having a territorial streak in his character. Apparently, Daly and I would never work – he would be far too jealous of my metrosexual dance partner caressing me during the sensual rumba. 'Tis a shame, I like the shaggy, artistic type.
Shane Curry and Kelly O'Neill give shattering performances in their roles as friends, neighbors, partners-in-crime, future lovers, and abused children. The film takes you through a single day of their lives, yet reveals an entire universe of pain, love, destitution, and compassion. If you want a plot synopsis, google it. If you want my opinion, see it.
One viewer said post-screening that he saw a love story surrounded by poverty and struggle. I saw poverty and struggle permeated by love. The question of which came first, love or struggle, is like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg. Probably the rooster.
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