Featured DVD Review: Kiss Me

November 5, 2012

Kiss Me - Buy from Amazon

Kiss Me, a.k.a, Kyss mig, is a Swedish film, and as a nation, Sweden has had a lot of success on the international stage, especially compared to the size of the market. I don't expect this film will be as strong as Let the Right One In, or especially The Girl with the Dragon Tatto, as it is a niche market film. Will fans of LGBT cinema be interested in the movie? Will it have crossover appeal?

The Movie

When the film begins, we see preparations for a party. Not only is Lasse turning 60, but he is getting married to Elizabeth, so it's a birthday / engagement party, Lasse's daughter, Mia, arrives with her boyfriend, Tim, and her brother, Oskar, introduces her to her soon-to-be step-sister, Frida. While at the party, Mia and Tim announce they are getting married, so there's plenty of reasons for all to be happy.

Mia is not 100% happy with these new changes. She thinks Tim is flirting with Frida and worries that Lasse won't be able to spend with her. When he asks her to look over their new home and look at his plans for expansion (she's an architect) she jumps at the chance, especially as it gives her more of a chance to spend time with her father. Mia drives up with Frida, which is an uncomfortable ride, especially after Mia asks Frida if she is dating Oskar and Frida decides to pretend she is. Later after they arrive, she finds out her father couldn't make it, so she's stuck on a small island with two people she was just introduced to. Elizabeth instructs Frida to be nice to Mia and try and make her feel welcome. It works, because after sharing a bottle of wine, the two passionately kiss.

This obviously complicates Mia's life. She begins to question her upcoming marriage, and her sexuality. She also thought it was creepy when Frida was dating her brother and this isn't any better.

This is not the first film to deal with a straight woman falling for a lesbian and questioning her sexuality. Imagine Me & You is a good example of the genre. Although few people saw that film, so it probably isn't a useful one to talk about. Imagine Me & You is a fluffy romantic comedy that has charming leads but is insubstantial, like most films in the genre. Kiss Me has the same strengths, as the chemistry between the two leads is excellent. However, it deals with the subject matter in a more mature way and therefore has a much more emotional weight. Not only do we see these two really struggle with their relationship, we see how it has an impact on their families and Mia's fiancée. The strong script it aided by impressive performances by the entire cast. The ending might be pulled from the big bag of Romantic Comedy Clichés, but the rest of the movie is certainly strong enough that it still works.

The Extras

There is only a music video on the DVD.

The Verdict

Kiss Me is a film that is a niche market of a niche market. Both foreign language films and LGBT rarely find wide audiences, but Kiss Me deserves to be one of the rare exceptions. The DVD doesn't have a lot extras, but it is still worth picking up.


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Filed under: Video Review, Kyss mig, Lena Endre, Krister Henriksson, Tom Ljungman, Ruth Vega Fernandez, Liv Mjones, Joakim Natterqvist