Review: 'Kissing A Fool': There's a pucker born every minute

March 9, 1998
Web posted at: 11:46 p.m. EST (0446 GMT)

From Reviewer Paul Tatara

(CNN) -- Boy, the romantic comedy season seems to get longer every year. It used to be that innocuous little pieces of fluff like "Kissing A Fool," the new David Schwimmer vehicle, came out in the late spring, when a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of guns and fireballs ... but young girls hanker for something a little more romantically driven.

Nowadays, though, you get these babies year-round. The market may be glutted with them, and "Kissing A Fool" is by no means a great movie. But if you're hankering for this kind of thing, you can do a lot worse. Realize, though, that that's not much of a recommendation. If you're interested, enter at your own risk.

This is a faux "When Harry Met Sally," which was already a faux "Annie Hall" (albeit a very funny one), so you should have a general idea of the tone before you even get there. There is, of course, a score full of jazz standards, loving shots of a big-city skyline (Chicago in this case), and a story line dealing with the seeming impossibility of love in the modern age.

Affluent, relatively intelligent people debate the pros and cons of relationships, and, eventually, there's a big smooch. I don't have anything against movies like this. In fact, I have something of a soft spot for the basic approach. But "Kissing A Fool" has one big problem. It just isn't particularly funny.

Enter, a sportscaster

Schwimmer plays Max, a Chicago sportscaster who seems to get more enjoyment out of the women his job brings him into contact with than he does out of covering the Cubs. (Why is it, by the way, that practically every movie that's set in Chicago has to make a big deal out of the Cubs? Note to screenwriters: They're not the city's only attraction.) Max likes sex, and he gets lots of it. Happily, this time around Schwimmer bags the wounded puppy dog shtick that's gotten so tiresome on "Friends" and actually tries to act. He's perfectly fine, if not a revelation.

Max's novelist buddy, Jay (Jason Lee, not all that good but vastly more effective than he was in "Chasing Amy"), isn't quite as lucky when it comes to romance.

Quicktime Video Scenes from the film 2M/34 sec./240x180 1.3M/34 sec./160x120

VXtreme Video Complete theatrical trailer

Jay is still heartbroken over a tough breakup with his beautiful girlfriend. He's so bad off he can't even take consolation in the warmth generated by his new editor, Sam, played by Israeli actress Mili Avital.

Sam plan backfires

Sam is sexy and smart, so, as you might figure given the genre conventions, she winds up falling for the piggish Max. Max, though, is having trouble keeping his eyes off other women, and he doesn't trust Sam to ignore other guys, so he convinces Jay to come on to Sam, just to see if she'll go for the bait. Guess what happens then? That's right -- highjinks ensue.

Director Doug Ellin, who co-wrote the humdrum screenplay with James Frey, keeps the pace fairly snappy, and a nod should also be given to film editor David Finfer, who, especially in the early going, creates some chuckles by giving us very fleeting glimpses of situations that are usually dealt with for far too long in your average kissy comedy.

Again, though, that can't completely make up for the lack of punchy dialogue. I never grimaced at anything, but the movie is more successful at generating an air of amiability than outright laughs. It's a decent date movie if you or your date aren't especially ambitious that night. I hope I haven't made your head spin with anticipation.

"Kissing A Fool" contains a fair share of un-Ross-like profanity, courtesy of Schwimmer, and some sexual situations. Count your blessings, though. At least he doesn't whimper and stick out his bottom lip. Don't worry about laughter-induced hysteria. Rated R. 100 minutes.

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Kissing A Fool
• Kissing a Fool (1998) - Internet Movie Database

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

---

 

---

Sound off on our message boards & chat

© 1998 Cable News Network, Inc.
A Time Warner Company
All Rights Reserved.

Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.