The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Long Kiss Goodnight ★★½ 1996 (R)
Audi encepleasing, bloodsoaked, foul mouthed, and action-packed. Davis obviously has a career as a ‘90s action star (female division), displaying the proper bravado, and muscles, necessary for her dual role. As mild-mannered, brownhaired Samantha Caine, she's a schoolteacher with an eight-year-old daughter, Caitlin (Zima), a nice boyfriend, Hal (Amandes), and amnesia. Sam begins having flashbacks to her past—and what a past it turns out to be. With the help of seedy PI Mitch Henessey (Jackson), she discovers her name is Charly Baltimore and she's a highly trained and very deadly CIA assassin. And the now bleachedblonde, beyond-tough Charly must match her quickly regained lethal abilities with ruthless former nemesis Timothy (Bierko). The body count's high, the blood flows freely, and there's some spectacular stunts. If you're not squeamish it's a guaranteed wild ride. Black got $4 million for his script. 120m/C VHS, DVD . Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Craig Bierko, Patrick Malahide, Brian Cox, David Morse, Yvonne Zima, Tom Amandes, Melina Kanakaredes, G.D. Spradlin; D: Renny Harlin; W: Shane Black; C: Guillermo Navarro; M: Alan Silvestri.