Une fiancée pour deux

This was a sweetheart of a movie. From a technical point of view, the photography was just right for the moments. If anyone has ever dismissed David Schwimmer as a pouty, whiny lout (such the characters from "FRIENDS" and "The Pallbearer"), take a good look at his Max in this and you'll see the complete opposite. Max is a vulgar, arrogant, misogynistic , bitter ass. His fellow player, Jason Lee, plays a pouty, whiny lout (as opposed to the vulgar, arrogant, misogynistic, bitter roles he was made famous by, in Brodie Bruce and Banky Edwards) who, as probably already told to you here on IMDb, is lorn of his slutty model girlfriend. Max has fallen for Sam, his attractive young publisher who he feels is too good to be true. So, he asks his best friend Jay (Lee) to see if Sam will hit on him, thus figuring out if she is the one. This test of course, is a thin veiled attempt to breach the contract called commitment, which blah blah blah, the story ends rather nicely. Not really what you expect. The flaw of this film is the forced conflicts presented, the rushed and implausible sequences that appear all too soon, and the unnecessary characters.

BUT I URGE YOU ALL READING THIS: GO RENT KISSING A FOOL! It, despite a few cons, is the kind of romantic comedy you hope for when you stand in line for "You've Got Mail" and get crap. Quirky, metropolitan, pampered, and concise, this flick will hit the spot, man.

If not for these four things, this movie would be unbearable. Jason Lee is the best, and cutest, skateboarder turned actor on this or any other planet. He brings a sweet vulnerability to every character I have seen him play. Kudos to you, sir! When I rule the world, Bonnie Hunt will be in every movie that is made. The woman is a comic genius, 'nuff said. As for the Kings, modern swing does not get any better. Plus, Ross is a hotty. And then there is the Mill. Quite possibly the coolest bar ever. Al Capone used to own it, what more can I say? If you're in Chicago, you must check it out. This is a great video to watch, cuz you can fast forward through the numerous boring parts!

The story is told as a flashback from Linda Streicher (Bonnie Hunt) at their wedding. Max (David Schwimmer) is a womanizing sleaze. Jay (Jason Lee) is his best friend. Jay introduces Sam (Mili Avital) from work to Max and they hit it right off. Three weeks later, they are set to marry.

David Schwimmer is completely miscast as the womanizing stud who's every girl's dream. Somebody really needs to stub him with that toothpick. Maybe they should have switched his role with Jason Lee. And without any spoilers, let's just say the scheme breaks all kinds of bro code. And it's completely manufactured strictly for rom-coms. The jokes all fall flat. Mili Avital is functional as the lead, but considering they had the much funnier Judy Greer, and hotter Kari Wuhrer in the same movie, she pales in comparison. Jason Lee is the only one that does a great job. He plays a slightly nerdy lovable writer. Only he needs better partners to play opposite to.

A delightful romantic comedy, told in flashback from the wedding of two of the main characters by a guest who was responsible for bringing them together. David Schwimmer (best known as the meek Ross from the hit series "Friends") is cast WAY against type as the womanising, foul-mouthed, five-o'clock-shadowed bachelor who feels it's time for him to settle down. His best friend, played by Jason Lee, is trying to pick himself up after a painful breakup from a long-term relationship, and does so by writing a spiteful novel about his experiences with his ex. His book editor, played by Mili Avital, is also his platonic confidant and one day, he decides to introduce her to Schwimmer's character.

Needless to say, this is the start of a 'bizarre love triangle', with some very funny plot twists as well as some tugging of emotions. All three main characters are excellent, and this makes for quite an enjoyable film - something like a straighter, cleaner version of Chasing Amy, if anyone's looking for comparisons.

With those stunning camera shots of Chicago and that snappy Harry Connick, Jr. song in the title sequence, "Kissing A Fool" gets off to a great start. And I liked Bonnie Hunt as the story's narrator. But the film suffers from a plot that is too predictable and from characters whose behavior is not believable.

This is one of those movies that you can see the end coming a mile away. There are virtually no plot twists to deflect the story's straight-line trajectory. As such, the story is almost too simple and unimaginative to be worth telling. To varying degrees, most romantic comedies are fairly shallow. But "Kissing A Fool" has no subtlety at all, not in plot, not in characters, not in dialogue.

Lacking any complexity, the story relies on two main characters, Jay (Jason Lee) and Max (David Schwimmer) whose behavior toward each other is not believable. They're supposed to be best buddies. But they are constantly at each other's throats. Their constant arguing not only is annoying; it calls into question their friendship. How can they be best buddies?

The two are not at all alike. Jay is bookish and cerebral; Max is your typical arrogant, cocky self-centered sports freak jerk. All that animosity between these two guys does not lend credibility to their "friendship"; yet, it is the main contrivance that propels the film's plot. Further, it renders a story conclusion that is, by extension, also not believable.

The film's acting is a tad exaggerated. I like Jason Lee, but he tends to overact in this film. Mili Avital, as the girl in between, is okay, but she doesn't have much to do. And David Schwimmer's performance is something of a hyper-masculine strut-fest. Some subtlety in acting would have helped a lot.

For all that, "Kissing A Fool" is still worth watching, once. It has credible production values, and there are occasional lines of dialogue that are funny. And I think the film's underlying concept is fine. I just wish the script and the acting could have been a little more nuanced and subtle.