Movies - Killing Zoe

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	Movies - Killing Zoe

Killing Zoe is a 1994 movie directed by Roger Avary, and starring Eric Stoltz as Zed and Julie Delpy as Zoe. It was Executive Produced by Quentin Tarantino. It received lukewarm reviews from most U.S. critics but has since become a respected cult favorite among cineastes and videophiles.

Plot

The film centers around Zed (Stoltz) a professional safe-cracker who comes to Paris for a job with a childhood friend, Eric. Upon arriving at his hotel room, he spends some time with a call girl, Zoe (Delpy), and after having sex (with Nosferatu playing on the television), they start to talk and see they have a connection (including the fact that both of their names start with the letter 'Z'). Their talk is interrupted, however, when Eric (Anglade) barges in and kicks Zoe out of the room.

Eric has a 'fool-proof' plan to rob a bank. The following day is Bastille Day, and virtually everything is closed - except for the bank they plan to rob, which is a holding bank, and thus is open even on holidays (as well as having major reserves of cash and precious metal in their basement). Despite jetlag and needing some rest, Zed spends a night partying with Eric's friends in the 'real' (i.e. the seedy side of) Paris. Eric confides to Zed that he has AIDS; possibly a motivating factor in his lawless attitude.

The next day the team, wearing frightening Carnival masks to hide their faces, begin the job. But their plans soon start unraveling, as the police show up and they're faced with the possibility of going to jail for life or having to shoot their way out. Tensions get even higher when Zed recognizes Zoe (who works at the bank during the day) and attempts to protect her, to the fury of Eric. The ending devolves into a vicious gunfight between the cops, Eric, and the rest of the gang, who can only celebrate a pyrrhic victory of having broken into the vault and finding millions in gold bars, but have no way of getting out alive with the gold. Eric is shot many times by the police and, bleeding, falls on Zed. The end of the film sees Zed, having been slashed with a knife by Eric, being lovingly led away in an ambulance with Zoe, who covers for him - saying he is a bank customer - and promises him that when he gets out she'll show him the 'real' Paris.

Trivia

The film was shot in downtown Los Angeles, with a three day second unit in Paris.

The bank the movie was shot in is now upscale loft space.

"Killing Zoe" was the first feature film to utilize a swing-and-tilt bellows lens on a motion picture camera.

The murals in the background of the bank are blue and red versions of the Jacques-Louis David neo-Classical painting "Oath of the Horatii."

The film is designed in three chapters: The neutral white opening, the blue night out with the gang, and the red bank robbery. The colors of both the French and American flags. Zed's shirt goes from blue to red in their respective chapters.

Though executive - produced by Tarantino, the film does not boast the myriad pop culture references for which he is known. However, in one sequence involving a heroin induced joyride through the streets of Paris, two characters discuss "A. B. and C.", an episode from the 1960s British cult series The Prisoner.

Primary Cast of Characters

Eric Stoltz
- Zed
Julie Delpy
- Zoe
Jean-Hugues Anglade
- Eric
Tai Thai - François
Bruce Ramsay - Ricardo
Kario Salem - Jean
Salvator Xuereb - Claude
Gary Kemp
- Oliver

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Killing Zoe ]

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