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Kissing A FoolStarring David SchwimmerJason Lee, Mili Avital and Bonnie Hunt Screenplay by James Frey and Doug Ellin Directed by Doug Ellin |
IN SHORT: Cute, real cute. Good date flick.
It was probably taken into consideration that winter time is not a particularly nice time of year, what with storms and the predictions of El Nino, when the suits skedded Kissing A Fool for release this week. It wasn't bad thinking. Kissing A Fool is a predictable, very lightweight romantic comedy, just right for cuddling behind the popcorn.
Chicago TV Sportscaster Max Abbitt (David Schwimmer) is so shallow that he would have you believe that a toothpick is, in reality, an Australian Chewing Stick, with all the cultural importance attached. He doesn't read. He gets way more sex than any man should be allowed, excepting the pathetically deprived Cranky of course, and he's self-absorbed to the point of almost being a royal pain in the ass.
His best friend Jay Murphy (Jason Lee) is a sensitive and heartbroken writer. They've been friends since babyhood. Into the mix comes Samantha Andrews (Mili Avital), Jay's editor and it's love at first sight for one of the possible pairs. Except that this despicable gent doesn't trust Sam and badgers his best friend into performing a "test" on her loyalty. Oh yeah, you've seen it before. It's been done to death . . .
. . . but rarely is it as enjoyable to watch, even when you know damn well how it is going to turn out. The script for Kissing a Fool, by story writer James Frey and director Doug Ellin is a brilliant piece of work. The dialog is real and it is funny and a cameo by a tabloid TV star keeps the surprises coming. The entire tale is told as a flashback narrated by Linda (the always fun Bonnie Hunt), the woman who claims responsibility for matching up the wedded couple.
Schwimmer gets to act against Friends type. That means he gets to be a cur instead of a wimp. Lee and Avital are both attractive and have plenty of chemistry.
On average, a first run movie ticket will run you Eight Bucks. Were Cranky able to set his own price for Kissing A Fool, he would have paid . . .
$4.00
It's a solid date flick that will play even better on the small screen.