FRENCH KISS – DVD MovieMeg Ryan (“Sleepless in Seattle”) and Kevin Kline (“Dave”) star in this bouncy romantic comedy about life, love and larceny. When her fiancé is smitten by a beautiful Frenchwoman, Kate (Ryan) flies to Paris determined to win him back. However, nothing prepares her for Luc (Kline), a cunning sexy Frenchman with a gift for gab and a fondness for thievery. A self-proclaimed expert on affairs of the heart, Luc promises to help Kate win back her man. But one star-crossed misadventure after another sweeps them across France, ultimately changing them in ways they never dreamed possible.Meg Ryan emerges bloodied but unbowed from this botched comedy by Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill). Ryan plays a woman whose fiancé (Timothy Hutton) leaves her for a Parisian beauty. She jets over to the City of Lights to fight for her man, but an incapacitating fear of flying forces her to seek help from a fellow passenger, a French thief played by Kevin Kline, who then tutors her in the ways of getting her beau back. Kasdan seems incapable of pacing the story, let alone getting a firm grip on its comic tone and intentions. The production sputters and regroups and stalls repeatedly, forcing Ryan, particularly, to find the boundaries of her own screwball performance. –Tom Keogh 
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(out of 174 reviews)
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There is no other movie in my collection that gets watched as often as this one. The story line is quite simple but the acting by the entire cast makes every line and every situation seem fresh and funny, even after scores of viewings.I am not generally a Meg Ryan fan but this movie shows her broad range of abilities, from physical comedy (the run in with the dessert cart, or suffering from the ill effects of lactose intolerance) to subtle poignancy (watch her facial expressions change in the very last scene on the airplane). Smaller roles are exquisitely played, from the always incomparable Jean Reno as a French policeman to the fine character actor who plays the concierge at the Hotel George V in Paris – an absolute gem of a performance in every respect and a one person commentary on the entire French persona.The French countryside is beautifully photographed, especially the wine country that is so central to the plot, and there are lovely glimpses of Paris as well.But for me the performance by Kevin Kline tops everything. His character is both incredibly complex and laugh out loud funny in this movie, and also wonderfully sensual. From one scene to the next we understand more and more what he thinks and feels.Bet you can’t watch it just once! Bet you’ll start quoting sections of dialogue at the drop of a hat! Bet you buy the first rate soundtrack (includes Kevin Kline singing in French).
Review by V. Marshall for FRENCH KISS – DVD Movie
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Sometimes a romantic comedy comes along that pulls at so many strings and is appealing on so many levels that you have to watch it at least once or twice a year…this movie happens to be one of those special treats.
Paris becomes her own character in this beautiful comedy filled with the romance of a great city all under the watch of the sparkling Eiffel. This movie is directed by Lawrence Kasdan and he works the film around beautiful scenic French views leaving viewer’s that love Paris breathless and begging for more. The storyline is humorous and the actors perfectly cast in roles that they seem natural at playing. The film is effortless to watch and that must be why it draws me in year after year.
Meg Ryan plays a woman engaged to Timothy Hutton in a boring and predictable little relationship. Things change drastically when Hutton goes to Paris on business and leaves Ryan at home because she is afraid to fly. But there is nothing like an old jealous heart to overcome such a silly phobia and Ryan finds herself on a plane to Paris to save her man from the arms of a beautiful young Parisian. Aboard the plane she meets Kevin Kline, who represents all things stereotypically French! Ryan is always perfect as the girl next door who stumbles about trying to stay in love. She is cute and perky as usual. Hutton is staid and serious until he is seduced by a vibrant and passionate French woman and begins his mid-life crisis falling for the belief that this seductress wants him and not his salary. Kline is convincingly French, with his wild haired and open minded talk, his always present dismissing pout and his passion for life. The fun begins as the plane lands in Paris and it never ends.
If you love France this film will romance you many times over. The cast is great together and the romantic comedy great for the heart. From the most romantic city in the world Kasdan gives us a new reason to dance and a desire to kiss as the French do!
Review by Michael L. Wiersma for FRENCH KISS – DVD Movie
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I have loved this movie for some time, and just saw it again. It’s entertaining, sweet, and plain old fun.
It maybe isn’t the most realistic, but for romantic escapism, it’s tops. Kevin Klein is great here, as usual, and believable as a Frenchman thief who finds his heart stolen by a whimsical, befuddled woman (Meg Ryan).
I’m not a big Meg Ryan fan, but she’s wonderful in this piece, and makes a remarkable transformation on screen from horrified, squeaky girl to remarkable and capable woman. Klein undergoes a similar softening transformation. It’s a subtle and gradual change for both, and the effectiveness and tightness of the screenplay and dialog contribute to a wonderfully-entertaining overall product that I can watch over and over again.
The pacing is great and the supporting characters (particularly the concierge at the hotel) are wonderful and help contribute to the fun.
I had a copy, but a friend “borrowed” it indefinitely. Now that’s a sincere endorsement.
Review by agtpeach for FRENCH KISS – DVD Movie
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Romantic comedies need that perfect couple. Once you’ve got Meg Ryan, you’re more than halfway there. Kevin Kline steps up to the plate here, with enchanting results.Kline’s stereotypical Frenchman (Luc) is as convincing (that accent!) as he is funny. His uber-casual, morally lax attitude is well complemented by Ryan’s uptight, loquacious American/wannabe-Canadian (Kate). The movie rolls along at a merry pace – from Canada to Paris to Nice and Provence, all with distinctive, eclectic music. The locations are beautiful and serve nicely as foils for the wacky partnership of Luc and Kate, as do the songs (in French and English). Check out the end credits when Kevin Kline sings “La Mer.”The chemistry between Luc and Kate works like it does in screwball comedies – a lot of bickering sexual tension – but somehow the best and most revealing scenes are the ones where there is no dialogue (Luc and his vine, lost in Paris, train to Nice, Luc’s family, dancing). The script is a little lacking, but Ryan and Kline are charming during these quiet moments.As you can imagine, with all this dualism of French and English, there is a lot of national humor – but I think the best summary of the movie is when Kate, who has lost everything (money, love, passport), wisely realizes, “I am without country.” Of course, she means this literally, but that wistfulness conveys more. The differences between nationalities become irrelevant when it’s really about fulfillment and dreams, which aren’t bound by country lines.
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This is a review I wrote in 2002 – all I have to say is that it STILL hasn’t lost it’s appeal to me. Still watch it – although the DVD version is much more durable than the VHS version. So, still no French Kiss 2? Hmph!This is the only movie I’ve bought that I’ve had to replace due to wear and tear. I was curious to see what other people thought of my “favorite” movie and heartened to see that I’m not the only French Kiss addict in the world! I was appalled at the hollywood reviews of this fine, romantic comedy. From the opening scene where Meg Ryan is in a fear of flying desensitization training course to its very happy ending, this movie entertains enormously both with its incredibly romantic storyline and the hilarious bantering between Kate and Luc. I admit that I can do “lines” from this movie. Both Kevin Kline and Meg Ryan are in top form. I think that they sizzle together as a romantic couple! Am I the only one who wants to see them reunited in another movie (ala Tom Hanks?)?