| Product: |
Kissing Jessica Stein (DVD) |
| Date: |
05/08/02 (133 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Excellent characters, Funny, A refreshing change
Disadvantages: Maybe a little too like Friends / Woody Allen / too Jewish
"Kissing Jessica Stein" was adapted from an off-Broadway show, written by Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, who also co-star in the film.
The original show was called Lipstchick – a great title, I’m not sure why they didn’t keep it.
Nonetheless, “Kissing Jessica Stein” is doing extremely well at the moment. It has received excellent reviews from the critics, and although it started off as a cult indie movie, showing at art house cinemas, it has been getting more and more mainstream, can I have spotted it in the listings of one or two multiplex cinemas recently.
The plot centres around Jessica Stein, a Jewish New Yorker (played by Westfeldt) who’s completely disillusioned with her experiences of dating – the men out there are so, well, inadequate – in a variety of ways. There’s a very funny collage of some of her dates, all of whom she meets at the same table at the same restaurant, all eye-rollingly unsuccessful – they range from the good-looking-but-slimy to the deadly-dull-and-pedantic-about-splitting-the-bill, to the frankly gay-but-not-facing-up-to-it. It’s funny, but actually will ring true for many who have hoped for great things to come out of a blind date.
Jessica is intrigued by an advert in a ‘woman seeking woman’ personals column, and as a result meets Helen (Juergensen).
Both of the women are in fact straight - Helen seems to be absolutely addicted to sex with men, but is looking for something a little different.
Following on from this, we have the more usual coming-out to friends and family scenarios, but everything is done with a slight twist – the women are not really lesbians, and this is not your traditional ‘lesbian’ movie.
There’s not even any hot sex, (sorry lads) although there are plenty of tender moments. Basically, it presents lesbianism as a phase thing – and it may even anno
y gay viewers. But, overall it’s pretty inoffensive, and, above all funny.
One of my favourite scenes is the one where Helen and Jessica discuss how to get the perfect lipstick finish – using a variety of shades applied together – which gives us a new meaning for the term “lipstick lesbian”!
Supporting actors - Scott Cohen (Josh) adds romantic interest in the shape of a male suitor / ex-boyfriend, and Jackie Hoffman (Joan) is wonderful as Jessica’s best friend – I feel she could take on any Bette Midler role with absolute relish.
In essence, “Kissing Jessica Stein” is a gentle romantic comedy, which owes a lot to Woody Allen, as well as quality US comedies such as Friends or Frasier.
In actual fact, Jessica could have been modelled on Phoebe from Friends, she’s so neurotic, nervous, and... funny.
The movie is also smart, well-acted, slick (it’s not merely mindless trash, or even a simple date-movie you’d be happy to turn up for), and it’s accessible – you could take your granny to see it. But, whoever you take, do try to get to see it.
Summary:
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Last comment:
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majorb - 06/08/02 What a shame they didn't keep the original name - much better than the one they actually used, I think. :-) |
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