ComedyFan2010
This movie is already over 15 years old and I am surprised I never saw it or heard about it because it was pretty good. It is about a woman that has no luck with men and answers an ad of another woman that she finds interesting. While being straight this starts to develop into a relationship.The acting in the movie is really good. The main characters also wrote it. Surprised not to see much acting on Heather Juergensen's IMDb as she was really good, but I guess she stayed in writing.And it is because of the writing that I liked the movie so much. The dialogues are great. I loved the argument they had when Jessica didn't invite Helen to brother's wedding. The talk Helen had with her gay friends. The conversation Jessica had with her mother. There was a lot of good writing.There are many small characters that are also a delight and adding a lot in the few scenes where they appear. I loved Grandma Esther, and this is the only acting credit of Esther Wurmfeld! Kevin Sussman also made me laugh a lot in his dating scene.The ending doesn't seem to be a typical happy ending but I loved them nonetheless. They break up because after all Jessica isn't gay and sex doesn't work. But they are best friends so this doesn't go away. Helen finds a woman to be happy with and Jessica meets Josh again and now that she found out more about herself and being happy it may even work out.A very creative and outstanding rom com.
Kinlever O
Kissing Jessica Stein is a intelligent film, with some real qualities that made me see it several times. Every scene is well thought, well played, visually brilliant, almost nothing is extra, nothing is lacking. I would recommend it to anyone.Two main characters seem to be very opposite, however, when they get to know each other, it turns out they have a lot in common, they are both perfectionists searching for a real thing, just in different ways.There is a very tiny line between a woman who sleeps with many people, and a woman who sleeps with nobody. Jessica seems to be very shy, very reserved, and proper, while actually deeply inside she keeps her sex appeal under the lock. Helen, who is very sexual and very experienced in practical stuff, realizes immediately how sexy Jessica actually is. That is why she keeps being so patient and persistent with her, waiting for Jessica's sexuality to come to the surface. That is the best quality of the movie: two women from different universes actually come to the same: they are so much into each other, once they give each other a chance.What is naive in this movie is the end. In general, the film very sharply shows how smart, intelligent, and opinionated women in NY are simply wasting time by looking for a perfect guy. There is no such thing for them, and instead of pleasing their families and friends expectations, they should look for alternative ways to find happiness - and it often turns out be a happiness with women. While the break up of Helen and Jessica in the end is still believable, since they both still have a lot to explore, it is very naive to hint that Jessica is in the end excited for meeting that guy, Josh, whom she has already dated in the past, and whom she dropped long time ago, without any interest. In spite of Josh now becoming a writer, it is not realistic to believe that a woman who moved on, and developed herself and her self-confidence, would now go back to the deprecating, judgmental and macho guy whom she dropped even when she was much less experienced, and much less self-confident. I see this part of the movie as nothing but simple lip-service to hetero audience who still would like to see a boy with a girl in the movie. Otherwise, the whole Josh role has no any real function in the story, it is mostly occupying the space to add some flavor for straight viewers. Well, it was 2001, one can even understand that calculation, it was still early in the game.
terminatorxx
I have seen romantic comedies and this canNOT be categorized as a romantic comedy at all. this is no where near a romantic comedy. it is about a girl who thinks everything should be perfect and finds herself in the middle of a relationship with another girl. it is a bad combination of actors first of all. it is not at all funny, irritating sometimes...it could have been a good movie about a girl trying to be a something she is not but the combination of some fatal errors including NOT coming up with a good script, bad casting etc,. gave the movie a hard time. on the other hand it is not a very bad movie either. watch it if you have nothing else to do and don't expect particularly anything from the movie. i did that and saw it in spite of having my exam on the next day and i think it was a complete waste of time... so i rate it 5/10...
evanston_dad
This charming, lightweight comedy about sexual orientation and experimentation stars the adorable, funny Jennifer Westfeldt as a good Jewish girl who decides that maybe the whole heterosexual dating thing isn't working for her, so she's going to play for the other team for a while. She begins a timid "romance" with a girl in much the same boat, with the exception that Westfeldt never really takes to lesbianism and the other girl does. Though the lesson she learns -- the problem in connecting with men lies in her own inability to sustain an intimate connection with another human being, not in any hidden homosexual tendencies -- is obvious, it's well told, and the director manages to keep the film from seeming glib or trendy. Westfeldt is a lovable actress, and she navigates the iffy terrain between cute and annoying very well.Grade: B+
