Killing Zoe  
 

USA/F 1994 - 96 min.

Starring: Jean-Hugues Anglade - Eric Stoltz - Julie Delpy - Gary Kemp (Oliver)

Director: Roger Avary

Script: Roger Avary

Production: Samuel Hadida

Music: Tomandandy

Rating:

 
     
  Summary  
     
 

  The story revolves around Zed, an American safe-cracker, who comes to Paris to do a job for his old childhood friend. He and his gang want to rob the only bank that opens on Bastille Day. Much to his surprise Zed learns that the job is 'planned' for the next morning, also his old mate and his gang have a rather peculiar way to prepare for the event. Zed is dragged through all sorts of drug dumps where the gang spend their time drinking and taking drugs. Zed falls into unconsciousness and only wakes up in front of the bank the next morning. None of the thieves are mentally or physically prepared. Of course the theft goes terribly wrong right from the start. As the gangsters lose more and more control of the situation their leader falls into a sort of blood lust. The violence escalates and Zed has to realize that the man he used to know as a child has changed drasticly. After a lot of blood is shed the police storm the building and Zed is saved by Zoe, the girl he had met as hooker the day before and who - what convenient twist of fate - has a daytime job at the bank ...
 
     
  Comment  
     
 

Definitely a Tarrantinoesque film and story ... also definitely not a mainstream movie as most of the dialogue is in French with subtitles. The beginning when Zed arrives and meets Zoe is quite slow and you have no idea where the whole thing is going. Finally when the gang do their 'tour de force' through the Parisian underworld you get an idea what this film is all about. There are interesting camera angles and visual ideas. The second part then, when the gang does the bank job is very intense and gripping. Of course the end is a bit predictable, but still there are quite enough twists and turns to keep the viewer's interest alive. Gary does a good job as gang member Oliver, who is just as hopeless as the rest of his mates. His best moment has to be the scene in which he sits in front of the vault lost in his little naive dreams of wealth and dope. There's only one thing, Gary: do losers like Oliver really have such well-styled hair???

 
     
  Availability  
     
 

as video to rent ... almost everywhere

as video to buy ... UK, USA, Holland, Belgium, France, South America, Germany (as 81 min. version)

as laser disc ... USA, France

as DVD video ... USA, UK, Germany, France, Argentina

(if you have information in addition to what's listed above please let us know)

This movie is also available for online purchase ...

  click here for VHS
(Pal)
click here for DVD
(Region 2)
  click here for VHS
(NTSC)
click here for DVD
(Region 1)
 
     
  Nota Bene  
     
 

Premiere: 1994 Sundance Film Festival For Independant Film Makers, USA

Interesting Links:
Avary's Domain
Killing Zoe Fan Page

 
     
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