I rented this movie mainly on the strength of the cover image of a lycra clad Kendra Torgan holding two pistols. In the tradition of 'B' movie video packaging,she of course never wears this outfit in the movie. However it's a film which could have been much better. The director Bharat Nalluri, like so many in the wake of 'Reservoir Dogs' attempts to pad out the film with dialogue between the characters which really adds nothing to the plot. Tarantino can carry this device off with aplomb, but not the director of this movie. 'Killing Time' feels like a 15 minute festival short which was at the last minute padded out to make a movie. The lead actress Kendra Torgan is not bad as the invulnerable Italian assassin, but her obvious impunity to any kind of harm removes any kind of suspense from this movie. Just like an episode of 'Alias' or 'VIP', you know that the beautiful heroine is not going to pick up a scratch and leave a pile of male bodies in her wake. When she is in a bath, she hears one of the incompetent morons hired to kill her moving outside. Now a genuine master of 'B' movie sleaze like Albert Pyun or Cirio H Santiago would have had Korgan leaping out of the bath and taking out her attacker naked. In this movie, in the space of under a minute, she manages to get out of the bath, dry herself completely, get fully dressed, climb into the roof cavity & surprise the guy in the space of a few seconds!. This scene alone exhibits the feeling I have that the filmmakers did not really know what target audience to aim for. Killing Time tries to be intellectual and an exploitationer at the same time and fails to be either.
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helltopo16 July 2005
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talbot128 September 2008OK here we go. I recently saw this film on television and I must say that it was really good. Plot was decent it wasn't such a Hollywood bullshit what I've seen a lot. OK the major reason why I liked this film was Kendra Torgan who did well acting and I didn't mentioned that she completely gorgeous. Yes indeed she with her charisma killed one of the bastards. Maybe yeah budget was low and it messed up really good storyline. So never less Kendra was always in top of the every episode of film and because of that film is watchable. I suggest to watch this film it's quiet good good actor play. But one problem what I still dislike is that Kendra is just underrated actress unfortunately she won't receive a change to get another block buster ~!
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merklekranz30 October 2010"Killing Time" is an exploitation film with a revenge theme. What makes it unique, is the method employed for the revenge. A cop whose partner was killed by a mobster boss, hires a classy Italian hit woman to take out the target. As a little insurance, the cop also sends four goons to kill the hit woman, whom he can't afford to pay. This scenario is fertile ground for some black humor intermingled with the revenge plot. Kendra Torgan plays the female assassin, much like Zoe Tamerlis in "Ms 45", She has little to say, but lots of bullets doing her talking. To fully enjoy the movie you must suspend disbelief, and be willing to put up with a lot of meaningless chatter. Recommended of it's type. - MERK
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WEE-WEE4 February 1999This is the type of film that proves that if you've got a micro budget then you should NOT make an action flick. The action sequences are very badly directed and edited, which makes the action sequences a bit of a chore to watch. The locations used throughout the film are devoid of any life, in that a few extras would have helped matters three-fold. The acting leaves a lot to be desired except for the lovely assassin, but that's only because she says about 3 words throughout the film. It also appears that the film stock must have been left out during the making because the colours are saturated and blurred, not to mention grainy. All in all, a bit of a disaster really and not what you`d expect. Well maybe you should because it took 3 years to get distributed in the UK.
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ipswich-25 June 2000I really feel this could have been a much better movie if the plot and acting were better done. Kendra Torgan is gorgeous as the ice-cool Italian hit woman who ruthlessly eliminates her victims as nonchalantly as she peels her apples. Although mildly fun to watch, the movie is sadly idiotic. The kill rate is horrendous and at times the movie seems to drag. Everyone around Kendra seems to be bungling, the conversation is inane and the choreography of the shooting scenes were choppy. It's bloody violent though, if that is any redeeming feature.
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filmboy30324 December 2000Alas, in the great tradition of "The Big Hit" and "Battle Field Earth", where the trailer is actually cooler than the film itself, "Killing Time" is no exception.
I had such high expectations after watching the trailer for this movie. It looked dark, noir-like, sexy with its ultra gorgeous Kendra Torgen as the hit-woman... but all for not. I read the reviews on this website for the movie, and most did not yield the movie too promising. However, I went ahead and rented it...
You know, it's not THAT bad... I think the slow-pace fits the movie; however the "action" sequences where less than climactic. Switching from one static shot to another, in seemingly an almost comical exchange of gunfire, where everyone is standing in plain site, yet no-one hits each other for at least four shots each.
What the film has going for it is the ultra sexy and icy cool M.O. of hit-woman Kendra Torgen... and the dramatic lighting is great in some shots. But overall, the film is a failure at what it was trying to accomplish.
Bottom Line: If you have time to kill, then check it out; otherwise, leave it. -
Eviltoad9 October 1998This movie does NOT live up to the outline on the back of the video box. It has its moments but otherwise is a dull, unwatchable movie. I found myself using the fast-forward/search button through most of the movie.
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It makes quite a welcomed change to see a 'gangster' film that isn't completely ridden with tacky cockney (or 'mockney') accents and the obligatory cliches that come with this.
It seems that too many have commented on this film for being unrealistic to an extent. The fact that the killer is a hired assassin should allude to the fact that she should be totally unscrupulous in what she does and how she does it. Actress Kendra Torgan employs minimal acting which helps to create a nice air of enigma about herself, and man; she's as hard as nails! She makes a great femme fatale and she is the sort of person who knows just what to do and how to do it: no quibbles, no fuss. She is the true essence of what an assassin should be.
The film works equally well as a black sort of comedy, yet in a rather harrowing sense. To joke about somedoby who has a bullet through their forehead is a classic example of this. The violence portrayed is rather intense and there is no particular lack of bloodshed. The inclusion of a classy score (containing, amongst others, 'Portishead') is also a nice touch.
The story does work rather well...it's not one of the most ingenious ever but it is cleverly composed and does tend to make you pause and think what is going on - this, for me, is always a good thing. The 'masturbation' scene is a good example of this. It is, to quote my title, 'clever'. Just because the film isn't overly complex doesn't mean to say that it is weak in anyway whatsoever. To couple this, it is a stylishly directed piece containing some good, appropriate cinematography; it helps to coincide with the overall ambience of the film itself. It is decidedly slick and polished.
To close, this is a decent British film. It is somewhat of a shame that it never really received the attention that it duly deserves. Perhaps there are still others who are yet to hear it. My advice: try it. For me it provided a great deal more entertainment and 'grit' than any Guy Ritchie film ever could. Hopefully with time, and slightly more attention, this may gain the title of being a 'cult' film. -
MrVB8 September 1999The picture on the video is pretty intriguing. Slender, long legged girl wearing a skin tight suit holding two guns. Ah! A sexy femme-fatale flick! Nope! Not even close.
This film commits the worst sin that an action femme-fatale movie could ever commit: The girl is incredibly average looking and has absolutley no charisma. Every guy in the movie drools over her. Why? Had they been stranded on a desert island for ten years before they saw her?
The production is decent, the storyline is actually quite clever, the acting overall is not bad, but my suspension of disbelief in this indestrucable assassin (due to her physical attributes, as the film makes quite explicit) is not so strong that I would ever find her that attractive.
By the way, the sound is horrible. -
Yonhap S13 April 2000Forget the acting, the pace of the story, logic, and plotholes what makes this film interesting is the setup. The title Killing Time can go both ways: one that sounds like Time to Kill, or just wasting one's time away. Maria the Assassin is to kill a mob boss. The first place of her attack, the boss is not around and will be on the subway late afternoon. With nothing to do in the meantime, she's stays in the hotel to kill time.
The structure and setup of the plot is interesting. You will notice a translator tape being played and only later does it show its importance.
The verdict: 3.5 of 5 stars. -
tarbosh220002 November 2012Reilly (Leach) is an effeminate and super-evil gangster who continually manages to evade the law, so cop Bryant (Fairbrass) hires a hitwoman to kill him in an "off the books" kind of way. The hitwoman in question is Maria (Torgan), and she comes from Italy to England to complete her job. Apparently a lot of British thugs are after Maria as well, and she must use her wiles to dispatch them - but is Bryant behind any double crosses? There are many types of slogs in Direct-to-Video cinema. There's the submarine slog, the airplane slog, the jungle slog, and the spaceship slog, just to name a few. But in the later 90's, a new type of slog emerged: the Tarantino slog. These are Tarantino knockoffs that would not exist if not for that director. They're characterized by a lot of violence, mainly shooting, and plenty of unnecessarily talky dialogue. Well, Killing Time fits the description to a T. Why ANY filmmaker could think they could replace the all-important character development with a lot of blah-blah-blah jawing from the characters is unknown. This way, when any action does occur, you don't really care. In this movie, you don't care about the plight of any of the characters.
Another reason for that is that Killing Time is also a classic case of "style over substance". There's almost no substance here, but there is some stylish camera moves, lighting and VHS box art. It just goes to show the old saying about not judging a book by its cover remains true. This movie is just trying so hard to be cool. But because it was the 90's, it's trying to be cool in that super-90's way, and it hasn't aged well. It uses that Portishead song multiple times and has characters either talking about nothing or doing nothing. Thus the pacing is seriously off. This movie has held up about as well as a commercial for "Buzz Cuts", "Buzz Jams", "The Edge" or one of those CD compilations of "edgy" 90's music that you just can't buy in stores, so call now.
And the sad part is, we normally love British movies, especially thrillers like this one. But this movie is the aforementioned Tarantino slog, mixed with a knockoff of La Femme Nikita (1990), so, besides the exteriors and a character wearing a Newcastle shirt, this really doesn't feel all that British. Craig Fairbrass does what he can here, but it's tough. He deserves better. In this movie he looks like a cross between Patrick Swayze, Richard Norton and Mel Gibson.
Presumably this movie was for Tarantino fanatics, or younger teens "slamming" their cans of Mountain Dew and saying "radical, totally awesome 90's, man". So sadly we cannot recommend Killing Time.
For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com -
Jdeleon14 September 1999Kendra Torgan is far more attractive than either Anne Parillaud (La Femme Nikita) or even Bridget Fonda (Point of No Return). It is a shame that she has not done any other films.
As Maria, she is simply the hottest cold-blooded killer around. Speaking Italian through most of the film only adds to her mystery and allure. Her pistols do most of the talking for her. Admittedly she is not a well rounded killer. She does not seem to have any martial arts skills. Heck, she can't even do a push up. But she is gutsy, smart and not afraid to shoot first, then shoot again.
There is just enough firepower to keep your blood pumping and no more. This movie does not need to resort to Hollywood explosions to keep people interested.
No tricky storylines or cop-out Deus ex Machina endings in this movie. This story moves quickly and not a minute is wasted. The action and changes in moods are paced by a great soundtrack. All the original music and the alternative songs add a haunting beauty to the film.
If you like the Female Assassin genre, this is a must see. -
Pyros_Velosian10 February 2006I found it to be a well done film for being low budget. The title struck me as a pun after I had seen it and I choose to believe it was intentional. The body count is high, and it has a moral (of a sort). Maria, the Italian hit-woman, is not too hard on the eyes either.
The bad guy is a real bad guy and deserves to die, the good guy is a crooked cop, and the hit-woman... just happened to be the one to get tagged with the job.
Warning: Maria gets nude. It is not a long scene, but her lovely body writhing in the bed in the aftermath of a gun battle is memorable. I haven't forgotten it yet...
I would buy this movie (if I could find it on DVD, I'd even take VHS if I had to. It is less about action, and more about enforced inaction cause by other people failing to follow a "reasonable timetable". -
turkeydick1 April 2001Watched this film on the recomedation of my so called mate scott, little did i know what a pile of tripe it was, the film didn't know what it wanted to be and the use of Eastenders "Dan" (also of cliffhanger-"Loud mouth, punk slag fame") only added to the comedy. If youve got a mate who says it is good, he is lying or mental. Watch it if it is on tele.
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wato21 October 1998Quite frankly, I don't think that this movie is as bad as everyone makes it out to be. I concede the fact that at times it is a bit slow, but that is the desired effect; as the viewer, you're supposed to feel a part of the scene.
The film tries to accurately depict the lives of the hitmen and women in the film, and do you know what? It's not always that glamorous.
During the film, as in life, there are periods of intense action- and then there are those moments that leave you just "Killing Time." -
Yikes. I'd seen the movie at the video store with a friend a while back, and the attractive cover and title made us want to rent it. We finally did, and luckily it wasn't so bad, but only because I had low expectations. The story's a bit shaky, the effects are bad, and you'll notice that they didn't hire even one extra for this movie. The cast is a bunch of unknowns (although it is a British flick, and I live in Canada - for all I know they're big stars overseas) and the poor directorial job makes me want to stay away from this guy's work.
The movie did have it's moments, however, but only because it's so bad it's funny. It also has a good Portishead tune in it that's quite enjoyable. So if you're in a mellow mood, you've got a few bucks to flame and an hour and a half to kill, rent this movie. It'll make you shake your head wondering why this movie was ever made, but at least you'll have a smile on your face. Otherwise, avoid it like the plague. -
seamanm1 April 1999Clearly a low budget British action movie. Set in Newcastle in northern England, the kernel of a good idea is led down by some shoddy directing and one dimensional acting. Summed up by the denouement of the film, which is supposed to be set in Newcastle station at 17.40, rush hour. Nobody but the protaginists are to be seen, obviously no budget left for extras! The director add a tag to the credits, quoting Jean-Luc Godard "all you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun". That's pretty much all there is to this movie, not necessarily a bad thing.
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TEXICAN-210 October 1999I rented this in the action section, assuming it to be a POINT OF NO RETURN/LA FEMME NIKITA-type movie judging from the artwork. What you get is more in line with PRIZZI'S HONOR. It has a very dark, humorous side to it. Maria is an Italian hit-lady, in England for a job, and speaks no english. She is really rather sadistic, but even that is played for dark fun. It's not a laugh-your-head-off type movie, but, you can find yourself chuckling at what goes on as the body count rises. Not a bad film, just not a true action film. And, yes, you do get to see Miss Torgan take a bath, which is a high point of interest.
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CLGersh4 October 1998Ugh. I rented this film after seeing its trailer as a coming attraction. This film's trailer was FAR superior to the film itself. So was its display box, for that matter.
I wanted to like this movie. The preview was promising and I think Kendra Torgan, as the assassin, was good. She played it calm and cold as ice. Her lack of dialog and any other screen credits lead me to believe that this may have been just a case of casting luck, however. And she didn't have much dialog either to truly judge her acting ability.
But the problem was that there was no to which you could attach any emotion. The all were totally underdeveloped. The dialog plays like a high schooler's attempt to mimic Tarrintino or Elmore.
I actually sat through the entire film expecting it to get better. It didn't. Pity since I think there was a germ of a good idea underneath it all. Rent this film only if you want to "kill time"....
* out of ***** -
icet20045 March 2005This movie is good.Kendra Torgan is good actress.Black humor in there is magnificent.some parts were bad too ,but movie is good.i liked most Kendra Torgan's acting.great actress i guess.yeah that's true that this movie is a strange than other movies,but not bad like some said.this movie is not ordinary action movie,but this is brutal too.of course funny too.you must watch this movie.i recommend Kendra Torgan is such a beautiful actress i guess,but she is underrated some dudes just don't understand point of this movie,but i understand i think that Kendra Torgan is just a not famous than other actors, but she is good actress and she deserve good role's like Killing Time.
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pstubbs12 March 2003I am reminded of MARK TWAIN'S "litterary grievances of JAMES FENNIMORE-COOPER" (something like that)
The cover girl IS hot... However, the movie is not. The movie is exactly like just watching everything happen as it happens, the actors aren't that bad, but the film does not give the story any background or the characters any debth, just guns, fowl languagem, guns, and more fowl language. And oh yeah, they threw in some nudity, but like everything else in the movie, it didn't help out the plot.
People do not watch movies to feel indifferent. This movie blows! -
edgy9 December 1998The strongest character in this film is a woman. The director makes this obvious from the beginning and I find this to be an appealing, even sexy, notion. Those who are threatened by this concept are doomed to dislike, or hate, this picture. This is not an overtly feminist tract. In fact, there is a droll sense of humor permeating the dialogue in the film. Bryant's four discount assassins are amusing in their arguments with one another and their near total obliviousness to the danger of their assignment. They would be inept killers in any circumstance, but especially here where they perceive a woman to be easy pickings. Kendra Torgan is very sexy as the Italian mercenary who dispatches her enemies with gusto. Her attempt to learn English via audiotape while assassins infiltrate her suite is amusing and enhances her stature as a superior, cold-blooded assassin. Kendra's final confrontation with the sinister archvillain along a descending escalator is well played as the English instructional tapes subtly make the difference between life or death. This movie was very funny, with some excellent shootouts and a very sexy woman. What more could a guy want? Despite a few lulls, to simulate the waiting a contract killer often does, this was well worth my time. I give it 9 out of 10 stars.
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daodao29 April 2002I saw this on cable TV in Australia and I actually quite enjoyed it. I tended to think it was slightly tongue in cheek. The cop (Craig Fairbrass) arranges for this hit woman to kill someone for him, but just in case he gets found out, he hires a bunch of amateurs to make a hit on the hit woman. Hilarity doesn't quite ensue, but it was very watchable, although mainly for 11pm on a weeknight when you've got a day off the next day. Worth seeing but don't go out of your way.
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As a cynical take on British gangster movies, this film is highly successful.
(***Slight Spoilers!***)
Is it unrealistic? Absolutely. One striking thing about this film is that there are absolutely no bystanders to be seen anywhere. Every single person you see on screen, even in the metropolitan areas, is either a part of the action or a victim of the violence. This movie is entirely "extraless". Deserted subway stations, empty streets, and guestless hotel lobbies are the rule. Hotel guests don't complain about gunfire in the hotel, but they do complain about noisy plumbing when a couple cell phones are flushed down the toilet. And the idea of a hit-woman (who would want to be low-profile and unmemorable) who is strikingly beautiful, dressed like a "Matrix" reject, and who speaks absolutely no English even though she has to carry out a hit in England, does not require further comment.
Does it have any significant backstory or character development? No...absolutely not. You take the characters as you get them. They are cartoons.
Does it demonstrate any moral judgment? Don't worry...nothing challenging in this department either.
So why is it worth seeing?
Well, it is a fairly pure movie in that it has few pretensions other than to mock certain film conventions. There are some deft touches, including several at the end of the movie. The final shot, with the hit-woman "disappearing" over an extended period, is rather memorable, even if pure film-school.
In summary, I have wasted time on supposedly better crime movies (like "The Road to Perdition")and actually enjoyed this film. If you have a chance to see this relatively short and unpretentious movie, I think that you should.