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Mike Leigh at the BBC

The Kiss of Death

1h 15m

Directed by Mike Leigh • 1977 • United Kingdom
Starring David Threlfall, Kay Adshead, Angela Curran

Cited by Mike Leigh as one of his personal favorites among his own works, THE KISS OF DEATH is a mordantly funny portrait of Trevor (David Threlfall), a terminally shy mortician’s assistant who stumbles awkwardly into a would-be relationship with Linda (Kay Adshead), a more assertive young woman whom he meets through his buddy’s girlfriend. Trevor’s bumbling attempts at intimacy culminate in one of the most unforgettable and searingly honest “love scenes” ever captured on film.

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