OMAHA FILM FESTIVAL

If you ask someone from the east or west coasts to point out Omaha on a map, they’d be hard pressed to find it, and would vaguely point towards the middle. They picture this place as a farming community, Imagining cornfields, and horses clopping down Main Street. They might be surprised to find that Omaha has a thriving and growing Arts Community. Artists, writers, musicians, poets, and yes, filmmakers, make their home right here, in the Heartland of America.

The Omaha Film Festival opening reception was very well attended. A diverse crowd of artists, patrons and movie buffs turned out for the event. Shane Blacks movie Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was the headlining attraction, and Omaha was honored to have Shane Black himself, in attendance. Black gave the audience a warm, if somewhat woozy welcome, and apologized for being under the weather with the flu. “If you stay for this film, you will see one more film that escaped the asylum that is Hollywood.” He promised. “I am so proud of this film and all the people who took part in it… It made zero dollars.” He added.

Like Shane Black’s predecessors, Lethal Weapon I and II, and The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang contained sharp, witty dialogue and remarkable characters. The movie broke apart from the typical movie mold in many respects, however. The main character, Harry, played by Robert Downey Jr. steps out of the story from time to time to address the audience directly, and also narrates the film. Harry is a good hearted thief that bumbles into an audition, and finds himself shipped off to Hollywood, as the next “Big Thing.” There he comes across a number of unsavory characters, and meets the girl of his dreams, Harmony. Who turns out to be his childhood sweetheart, played exquisitely by Michelle Monaghan. Harmony has a fixation on campy dime store detective novels, and before you know it, they find themselves in the middle of a multiple-murder mystery that has more twists than a roller coaster. Val Kilmer, plays Harry’s detective sidekick Perry, a tough, savvy, no nonsense detective who also happens to be openly gay. The movie is difficult to classify, and could be called an action adventure, comedy, romance, and thriller.  No matter what label you put on it, you have to say it’s entertaining, and very well done.  

After the showing, Shane Black took questions from the audience. When asked about the length of time between his projects he stated “I sort of fell off the map. I had a lot of success early and that isn’t always a good thing.” “It’s the kind of work you think is glamorous and it just ain’t.” “I slipped off the map because I was scared. I didn’t think I could write. Every time I wrote something, I didn’t think I would write again. There is a leap of faith attached. Not in the success you have. You touch top, but then you touch bottom.” “I don’t want to be a famous rich guy, I just want to write stories.” “I stepped off the map, I would cut off my hand to be where you are, looking at me. To have that kind of eagerness. Cherish it!” He beseeched the audience. “The curse of Hollywood is not that 97% of the time it sucks, and it really does. But that 3%…that 3% is so... so good! That is the curse.” He stated that Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was his favorite project because he had the most freedom. His producer let him shoot straight from the page, and very little was changed or cut out from his original script. It took him three years to write the movie and another two years to find backing for it, and get it produced.  Even though it did not have the box office success, he found it to be a freeing experience.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was a wonderful start to what should be a fantastic Film Festival.

From Omaha,

Sandra Brennan