Thank god this movie’s funny, because it’s also a giant kick in the balls. “In Search of a Midnight Kiss” takes a good, honest look at young relationships and loneliness in the big city and the picture is seldomly purty. Being that this is such, I very much appreciate the laughs, because if you’re going to make my balls sore then you’re going to need to tickle my ribs too. I also appreciate the, not one, but two, Freddy Krueger references. Major bonus.
The ball kicking starts right away with our main character, Wilson, being caught masturbating to a picture of his best friend’s girlfriend. Making things worse – he’s caught by his best friend, Jacob, and the girlfriend. OW, MY BALLS! It’s New Year’s Eve day and Wilson is, once again, sitting around at home, depressed and lonely. He recently moved to LA from Texas and ever since his life has been on a steady downhill slide – he has no job, no girlfriend and no hope. OW, MY BALLS! Jacob decides that Wilson absolutely has to have a date for New Year’s Eve, so he convinces him to post an ad on Craigslist. Wilson does it and sits back, bracing for a stream of freaky phone calls. Meanwhile, Jacob makes plans to propose to his girlfriend that evening, but little does he know that she’s not entirely faithful to him. OW, MY BALLS! First call proves kind of promising. The girl wants to meet him in a public place and in five minutes will determine whether she wants to spend New Year’s Eve with him or not. Wilson nervously accepts. Problem is, we’re shown, during the phone conversation, that the girl is a boozer with a fine collection of prescription medication. OW, MY BALLS! Wilson meets the girl, Vivian, and due to her brutally honest attitude, they don’t exactly hit it off, but he’s better than any of the other losers she’s “interviewed” for the position of being her date for the evening and she’s rather pretty, so they both go off to spend the day together; at sundown, Vivian will decide whether or not Wilson stays or goes. The two wander around LA aimlessly, each feeling one another out and the initial outlook is that Vivian is just gonna give Wilson s**t all day and he’s not even gonna get any sex for his trouble. He’d be better off just staying at home and jerking it to his buddy’s girlfriend. OW, MY BALLS!
Shot in black and white to accentuate the dreariness of these lives, the bulk of the film has us follow Wilson and Vivian on their roaming date through Los Angeles. What begins as really awkward and nervewracking, winds up becoming charming and that’s where this film is utterly amazing. The character development here feels totally natural as you don’t jump from one feeling to the next. You gradually grow comfortable with these characters as they grow comfortable with one another and start opening up, even liking each other. It’s a highly emotional journey and it’s really stayed with me nearly 24 hours after I’ve seen it.
“In Search of a Midnight Kiss” may be too honest for some people. Numerous points are made in the film which will make you say, “Ow, my balls.” Even if you don’t have balls, your invisiballs will ache. Sometimes these points are peppered with humor and sometimes they’re served straight up matter-of-fact stylee. The film also doesn’t try to wrap things up nice and neat. That’s not how life is and that’s not how this film goes. But for those who can handle the truth, they should be prepared for a very moving experience. And Freddy Krueger references.
