Kissing a Fool (1998)
Director: Doug Ellin Cast: David Schwimmer, Jason Lee, Mili Avital, Bonnie Hunt, Vanessa Angel, Kari Wuhrer Screenplay: James Frey, Doug Ellin, Producers: Andrew Form, Rick Lashbrook, Tag Mendillo Runtime: 93 min. US Distribution: Universal Rated R: Language
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)
We all see a lot of romantic comedies. Studios love to release them because people go and see them regardless of the fact that they are almost always completely predictable. And, naturally, this addition to the genre doesn't break that particular tradition. What Kissing a Fool (what does the title mean?) does do, however, is provide a bunch of likable and realistic characters in a situation that, miraculously, doesn't feel banal and lifeless.
The story centers around Max (David Schwimmer) and Jay (Jason Lee), who are best friends. Jay is a writer, and Max is a well-known sportscaster. Jay introduces Max to his editor, Sam (Mili Avital), and the two hit it off immediately. They are engaged within a fortnight, and soon they move in with each other. But it can't be that simple: Max suspects that Sam might cheat on him, so he tries to get Jay to see if she will. How Max expected the details of this operation to ensue is still under question.
Boy, it just sounds like your typical, insipid romantic comedy, right? Well, yeah, the plot kind of works that way. However, due to the great characters and acting, I didn't even notice the gears of the plot turning slowly-but-surely to provide for the foreseen conclusion. The film is totally hilarious, which doesn't hurt; it also manages to avoid a lapse in laughter towards the end as the plot has to sum itself up--everything up through the last frame is fun and entertaining.
However, my biggest reason for liking Kissing a Fool requires for me to once again officially disagree with Roger Ebert and one particularly untrue statement he makes in his review of the film. He says, "...none of the characters behaves at any moment like any human being we have ever met." I guess me explaining the lack of truth in this statement forces me to admit that my primary reasons for enjoying Kissing a Fool are somewhat personal. The character Jay, played by Jason Lee, is me! I suppose that it's very presumptuous and perhaps even arrogant of myself to say such a thing (I know myself *really* well...?). Nonetheless, it is true, and almost disturbingly so.
Lee's portrayal of me...er, Jay, is realistic and extremely entertaining. I also enjoyed him in Chasing Amy as the Friend, Banky. He is a lot different here (not just in appearance); he actually proves he can play different kinds of characters. Jay is really uptight and ridiculously affected by his surroundings, so it comes as no surprise to me when he becomes physically ill every time his ex-girlfriend, Natasha (Vanessa Angel) is even mentioned. All right, so, maybe not everyone will like Jay as much as I did . . . but he seems like such a nice, affable guy!
David Schwimmer seems intent on breaking Matt Damon's record for number of times he uses the f-word in a single line of dialogue. I lost count in this case, so I'll grant him the award. I liked Schwimmer here, and even though his character is the kind of guy I'd like to stab to death in real life, I enjoyed watching him. In fact, I know people just like this, so I could watch and believe everything he does here without questioning him. Sam, played well by Avital, is the one character who could have used a bit of fleshing-out. She seems rather cardboard-ish here, mostly because the screenplay doesn't give her a lot to do aside from react to the two main guys.
It must be me. Every situation in this film feels like something that has either happened to me, or that I've seen happen to someone I know. I can't be that different from everyone else--that's why I think someone out there might watch this movie and say, "Yup, that's how it goes." I really enjoyed Kissing a Fool, and I think that if all romantic comedies were this funny and realistic, we might not have to be so wary of the genre.
>From 0-10: 7 Grade: B
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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