The Kiss (2004)

Directed by: Hilde van Mieghem | 97 minutes | drama, thriller | Actors: Marie Vinck, Fedja van Huêt, Hilde van Mieghem, Jan Decleir, Veerle Baetens, Tom de Hoog, Josse de Pauw, Ides Meire

‘The Kiss’ is the first full-length film by actress Hilde van Mieghem. This is not her directorial debut, however, in 1997 she already made the short film ‘The sugar pot’, which won no less than 18 prizes in total. In the production of ‘De kus’, the Flemish not only directed but also played an important role and acted as co-producer. Moreover, Van Mieghem took care of the screenplay. And she shouldn’t have.

The film ‘The Kiss’ is about the damage that a heavy-handed upbringing can do. In addition, he deals with the problem of loverboys, smooth boys who grab girls and then have them whoring, whereby the proceeds naturally end up in the pockets of the pimps. With a little good will you could also call ‘The Kiss’ a ‘coming of age drama’, because in the end the story produces a more or less refined character.

To say something positive about the scenario, on the other hand, is beyond any good will. The story starts off with a squeaky and creaky start, stumbles close to gorges and ravines, but when you have to pick up speed halfway through, the film completely derails and it collapses into the deepest depths. Then one foolish act follows another and one improbability has not yet been processed or the next is already presented. The viewer is spared nothing, from bizarre developments in the father-daughter relationship to a completely idiotic denouement.

Not only the actions are a problem, the characters can never convince either. Only the smooth pimp cum jewel thief Vic has any credibility left. Main character Sarah is a bit too silly as a 15-year-old, Sarah’s mother is a genuine Mommy from Hell who belongs in a trailer park rather than in a luxury apartment and Sarah’s father seems to consist of five different personalities. In the supporting roles we see battered whores, bumbling students, criminals and pimps, all well beyond the caricature. In fact, it is a miracle that the main actors in this remarkable concoction survive perfectly, with the young, very talented Marie Vinck as the standout. But just like Jan Decleir, Fedja van Huêt and Els Dottermans, she is no longer able to save the day.

Some movies are so bad that they almost make you happy. Even that comfort cannot be offered by ‘The Kiss’. Afterwards, annoyance about Hilde Van Mieghem’s self-overestimation predominates. A little craftsman could have turned the in itself interesting fact into a sound scenario. With such a screenplay and with this cast, director Van Mieghem could have produced a much better film, a kiss that would have tasted a lot more pleasant than this clumsy smack.