Review of Kissing Jessica Stein (2002) by Hannibal O — 15 May 2008
This was an interesting romantic comedy about two women who meet and fall in love, only to discover they don't know where to go from there. The first half of the film has some of the same neurotic juiciness of early Woody Allen and a similar charm.
However, in the second half of the film, you can almost feel the panic of the writers - they have no idea of what to do with the story once they set it up, and the mad scramble to wrap it up doesn't feel right.
Regardless, this imperfectly shaped film somehow works. Jessica Stein, the titular character, is cute and you can believe that everyone wants to kiss and love her. The great thing about this film is that even as it clings to classic romantic comedy elements, it never feels farcical, manipulative, or zany.
Its actually pretty touching and human. Anyway, I was surprised by the charm and unconventionality of the film and it presented a fresh take on the genre.
This review of Kissing Jessica Stein (2002) was written by Hannibal O on 15 May 2008.
Kissing Jessica Stein has generally received positive reviews.
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