Paris matchMeg Ryan brings her characteristic magic to Kasdan’s new comedy-romance French Kiss

Paris matchMeg Ryan brings her characteristic magic to Kasdan’s
new comedy-romance French Kiss

By Michael Horowitz

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Years from now, films like French Kiss are going to be
remembered simply as Meg Ryan films.

People are going to remember what she wore, who she pursued, and
how she got her man, much like the Audrey Hepburn films of old. The
director, the supporting cast, and other details will soon fall out
of memory. The Meg Ryan collection, with When Harry Met Sally
shipped to your house for only $9.99, will be sold to millions.

Kudos to Ryan for knowing how she comes off best. She
co-produced French Kiss, and the end result is tailor-made for the
same Sally-esque lead she’s mastered in the last few pictures.
Unlike last year’s surprisingly unsuccessful I.Q., which made the
mistake of keeping Ryan off the screen for too many minutes, French
Kiss keeps her front and center throughout.

Ryan is Kate, and the filmmakers give her only three
characteristics. This may seem like a handicap, but much in the
same way action sequels pour you into the same familiar
protagonists to advance the plot quicker, French Kiss’s quick Kate
sketch is economical and effective. She hates planes, she’s about
to get engaged to Canadian Charlie (Timothy Hutton), and she’s
applying for Canadian citizenship.

After a brief North American set-up, Charlie jets off to Paris
for a business venture and calls back, reporting that he’s found
someone new. Obviously, this is a problem for Kate, due to
character trait No. 2, yet she’s not allowed to leave the country
because of character trait No. 3 and she can’t get to France anyway
(trait No. 1). So she’s devastated.

The remarkable thing about French Kiss is that the film could
have kept Kate complaining alone in Canada for two hours and it
still could’ve been vastly entertaining. Yet Kate quickly makes up
her mind to fly to Paris, and it’s an even better film.

The freak she sits next to on the plane, Luc (Kevin Kline),
turns out to be a loveable freak and he helps her overcome her fear
of flying by getting her sloshed. Once they land, a set of
contrived plot points force them to work as a team, determined to
win Charlie back from the sexy-as-hell Juliette (Susan Anbeh).

Through misunderstandings and wacky adventures, they are forced
to forget Paris, and ultimately journey to the south of France
where their plans come to fruition, and more importantly, Kate
metamorphoses. On the way, they bump into Billy Crystal and Debra
Winger for a brief, nonexistent scene.

Kasdan, rebounding strongly from the Wyatt Earp slashing he
endured, directs French Kiss with a light hand, content to let Ryan
be Ryan and Kline be hilarious. The moments where his soft touch
are most effective are those surrounding Kate’s cat-and-mouse hunt
for the Eiffel Tower. The symbol of her idyllic Paris proves
remarkably difficult to view, vanishing behind buildings at choice
moments, leaving the viewer with three or four bittersweet
scenes.

This is not a flawless film. In fact, there are many moments
where a discerning viewer will be accosted by a throbbing
right-brain partial hemorrhage at inexplicable plot points and the
behavior of sturdy, but barely-drawn Detective Jean-Paul (Jean
Reno). But cynics and doubters beware, French Kiss is not a movie
you can walk away from listing inconsistencies. You will succumb to
the romantic comedy as you fall for Kate.

FILM: French Kiss. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Starring Meg
Ryan, Kevin Kline and Timothy Hutton. Now playing.