User reviews

This is a really cute little romantic comedy. The story revolves around a young history teacher, Kate, who's afraid of flying but forces herself to hop on a plane for Paris to try and win back her fiancé, Charlie, who has dumped her for a gorgeous French woman. However, her seat mate on the plane happens to be a charming French crook named Luc, who uses the unsuspecting Kate to smuggle his stolen diamond necklace for him. Then, casting himself as an expert in affairs of the heart, he resolves to help Kate win back her man, later complicated by the fact that he falls for her himself.

Their adventures across France, from Paris to Cannes, in pursuit of the fiancé and his new girlfriend, make for some pretty amusing scenes. The plot is livened up by the repercussions of Luc's larcenous tricks, little sub-plots with a fellow con artist and a cop who owes him a favour. My sole complaint with this movie is a couple of unnecessary f-words and a fair bit of profanity, especially on Kate's part (taking the Lord's name in vain), reflective of the screenwriters' laziness in avoiding clever dialogue in these scenes.

Meg Ryan is her usual cute, bubbly, rather ditsy self in the role of Kate and Timothy Hutton is suitably obnoxious and despicable as Charlie, the fiancé who dumped her. However, the real star of this film is Kevin Kline, who puts genuine charm into the role of this rakishly endearing thief, Luc, and demonstrates an extremely credible French accent, in my opinion. His entire persona here makes it difficult to believe that Kline isn't really French. He must have had a fantastic language coach! Also, there is great on screen chemistry between Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline.

It's a delightful, light hearted film, a good date movie, and not necessarily just a chick flick as my husband enjoyed it too.

A Francophile will probably like this film. I did. Meg Ryan plays a woman who's on the verge of marrying a Canadian, so she's denounced her American citizenship. She's also afraid of flying so she stays home while her fiance goes to Paris on business. Things take a turn for the worse when he calls, saying he's met the woman of his dreams and he's staying in France.

Frantic to get back her man, she boards a plane. Next to her sits a French thief, beautifully played by Kevin Kline, who has problems of his own, most notably how to smuggle a diamond necklace out of the country.

It's a character-driven plot that Cary Grant would have loved - two people who are seemingly so "repelled" by each other but all they need are the right elements to fall in love. I'm generally not a fan of the romantic-comedy, but the French setting sucked me in as did a supporting role played by the always excellent Jean Reno.

As for the authenticity of Kline's accent, I had a good friend from France who claimed it was "formidable." So there.

Very entertaining and worth a watch.

Want more French choices? Try "Frantic" with Harrison Ford, it's Hitchcockian; "Green Card," who can resist Depardieu?; and my all-time favorite Meg Ryan film "Addicted to Love." It's a great black comedy and it has the sizzlingly sexy Tcheky Karyo. "C'est magnifique!"

What's wrong with Kevin Kline's accent? My mother's family are from France and they talk like that...sort of. Well, who cares? This is a fun, fun film and I enjoyed it from title to credits. Meg Ryan in her low key but hyper way (now, if that seems like an oxymoron, watch her performance) is wonderful. BTW, I've set next to her character on an International flight... The story is great. Kline's character is lots of fun and Meg Ryan just melts you. Jean Reno is wonderful as the cop who helps Kline redeem his soul. Also, good work by Timothy Hutton and others. This is a fun film and I'm at a loss as to why the critics slammed Kevin Kline's accent... I found it believable because there are many French accents, depending on the region of origin and Kline is a good-- non, très, très bon acteur.

A truly funny piece. It's the one we get out of our collection when we just want to sit down and watch something familiar, funny and just NICE.

Meg Ryan reveals herself as a true comedienne and Kevin Kline is the funniest Frenchman you ever loved to hate. So what if we know exactly what's going to happen? That's the way with romantic comedies, as it is with most 'genre' movies. Even after having seen it at least a dozen times, we still laugh when Ryan sneaks up on her absconded fiancee and his new girlfriend and in the process causes major havoc in a posh French cafe; or when Kevin Kline tells her how the uptight nature of the Americans makes his 'ass twitch'.

To begin with, Meg Ryan's fear of flying and the procedures she goes through to deal with it are cute. And the relationship with Meg and Timothy Hutton is entirely believable.

Once she is on the plane, going to Paris, Kevin Kline appears and introduces himself and distracts her from the takeoff. Kevin Kline really proves himself in this movie, or at least shows how good he is at accents. I was a French major in college and have been to Paris and seen much of France. His mannerisms are right on.

The things that happen once they are in Paris are 1) funny and 2) move the story along. The train trip that they have to take is another enjoyable section. And Meg learns that she really likes the cheese!

Once she sees the vineyard and begins to learn more about Kevin Kline's character, the story gets under way nicely. All in all, it's a very enjoyable time.

This is an excellent film. I have seen it several times since it's release and never tire of it. Other than the adult theme it would have been suitable for family viewing. Well casted, and a good mix of both romance and comedy. The casual observer may not catch the best part of the movie, it's soundtrack. Kevin Kline does an outstanding vocal rendition of La Mer. Cole Porter, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Van Morrison, and others.. How could one ignore this gem?

While everyone knows where this film is headed, it's still a lot of fun to sit back and watch it get there. Meg Ryan, as usual, has the cute-o-meter pegged. Kevin Kline did an admirable job of faking a French accent. It didn't necessarily sound real, but it served the role well. A Frenchman might disagree, but, well, who cares what the French think? Also, in a small role, Jean Reno was excellent. A thoroughly enjoyable light comedy. Grade: B+

Usually, romantic comedies are not really taken seriously as they tend to be seen as simple fluff meant only to provide light hearted entertainment. Like in action films and horror films, the overuse of the enormous amount of clichés and typical plot devices, has turned the sub-genre into a stereotype, where stories become predictable as the basic structure has been done countless times before. While this predictability is most definitely a problem, occasionally a movie appears that despite following the typical pattern of the genre, manages to stand out among the rest; and even when at its core it still is a typical romantic comedy, it shines with a light of its own due to the way the film is executed. "French Kiss" is one of those movies, a film that despite being no masterpiece of cinema, achieves its original purpose without problem: to provide good light hearted entertainment by telling a charming story about two equally charming characters.

"French Kiss" is the story of Kate (Meg Ryan), a young woman who after moving to Canada, where his boyfriend Charlie (Timothy Hutton) lives, begins to make preparations for a future with him. However, all her plans crumble when on a business trip to France, Charlie meets another woman (Susan Anbeh), and falls deeply in love with her, deciding to remain in France and cancel his wedding plans with Kate. Deeply hurt by Charlie's decision, Kate decides to overcome her fear of flying and travels to France decided to recover her boyfriend. On the trip she meets Luc Teyssier (Kevin Kline), a charming Frenchman who strangely decides to help her. Kate doesn't know that the odd Bon Vivant she has met, has hidden a stolen piece of jewelry in her purse and now wants it back. Problems begin when Kate's purse is stolen, making both to work together to recover the stolen purse, and its contents.

Written by Adam Brooks, "French Kiss" certainly follows the basic blueprint of romantic comedies: it chronicles the misadventures of a couple that dislikes each other but that after working together discover a certain attraction between them. At first sight it would seem that it's just another typical romantic comedy (with the addition of a French setting); however, and despite the far fetched plot, Brooks makes the story somewhat believable and it surprisingly works in the end. While the romance is the focus of the film, Brooks makes some cleverly written scenes, playing with the French and American stereotypes of each other in small, yet very funny scenes with his assortment of quirky supporting characters. "French Kiss" is not exactly the definition of realistic, but in the end is this romanticizing of the story what becomes the film's main strength.

Kasdan takes a straight forward approach to the script, making an excellent use of his cast to bring the story to life. It is really his work with the actors what makes the movie a bit more believable than what the script makes it to be, as while Kasdan still can't avoid some silly and unrealistic dialogs, the performances of his cast make them work to an extent. The real star of the film is Owen Roizman's cinematography, who under Kasdan's direction portrays France's both urban and countryside landscapes with great talent, making the amazing beauty of the country to show off in many scenes. Kasdan follows Brook's theme of making jokes about American tourists, and constructs visual gags (a simple, yet very creative pun about watching the Eiffel Tower is cleverly used through the film) that spice up the love story between Kate and Luc, adding some diversity to break up the monotony.

The cast is what really makes "French Kiss" to stand out among similar movies. At the peak of her "romantic comedy phase", Meg Ryan was delightfully charming as the main character, Kate. With her natural charm and talent, this character was definitely piece of cake for her, and she makes what otherwise could be a two dimensional character a bit more enjoyable. Kevin Kline is the highlight of the film, making a very convincing Frenchman in his portrait of Luc. It's a shame that the producers decided to hire a non-Frenchman for the role, but fortunately Kline delivers an excellent and very believable performance as the witty crook more interested in what's inside of Kate's purse than in her person. Timothy Hutton is definitely the weakest link in the cast, as not only his character was badly written, his performance is not really good and looks really out of place in the film. French actors Jean Reno and François Cluzet have small supporting roles, and they truly make the best of them. Cluzet is very funny and Reno completely steals every scene he is in.

As written above, the script is plagued with many flaws, that while were somewhat corrected by Lawrence Kasdan and his cast, at times manage to come out and hurt the film. The real problem is not in the far fetched situation that makes the couple meet, but in the development of the event that start all: Hutton's character is simply poorly developed and not believable in his actions. Ryan's characters is better done, but it takes Meg Ryan's performance to make her likable, as Kate is not exactly a sympathetic character to begin with. Don't get me wrong, Brooks' story is fun and charming, but it the events before Kate's trip to France really drag and make the film look uninteresting.

"French Kiss" is a very 90s romantic comedy but with touches of those classic screwball comedies of old, where realism was sent to the backseat and romance used to drive the story. It's not really a masterpiece of the genre, like say "Annie Hall" or "When Harry met Sally", but "French Kiss" gets the job done thanks to the charming performances of the cast, and the magic of the French landscapes. 7/10

I love this film. The scene in which Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline first hop in the stolen car in Paris tickles me every time. While she is berating him for involving her in his (mis)adventures, she turns to look at him and misses what would be a wonderful tour of Paris as all the major landmarks of Paris go by on the passenger side of the car. Love the director's sense of humor. As for Kline's French accent, I have studied in France and have a good ear (if I do say so myself), and was very impressed with Kline's regional accent ("way", for example, rather than "we" for 'oui'). As for it being a pat romantic comedy, well, of course - suppose it had been Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, would anybody have complained?

After having been recommended this movie by my mum and reading some of the reviews made my users on here I am surprised by how generous they are. The majority of the reviews were positive and I'm struggling to comprehend how, admittedly with films like this you aren't supposed to think too much into them but this film was far too implausible. The acting cannot be faulted though, all of the actors portrayed their roles well, it's just a pity the characters were stereotypical with no substance.

Undoubtedly this movie has all of the aspects of a rom-com but that's it, it was so average and disappointing, having read so many reviews I expected much more and was very dissatisfied. I don't want to fault the film completely because it did make me laugh in some scenes but overall I didn't enjoy it, I was bored and debated switching it over multiple times and now I kind of wish I had. In fairness to the film it did get progressively get better and the ending was better than I had expected but I stick to my original statement; other users reviews were far too generous, this film was too cliché and just pretty average.

This movie is sheer unabashed indulgence...indulgence in romantic comedies, in Meg Ryan, in France and a whole lot of other things and people!! I've seen this movie in parts lots of times, never really got to sit and see the whole film at one go. The dialogues are witty enough and the acting credible enough to make anyone want to sit and watch it again! Kevin Kline is superb in the role. For him it was more than just a matter of knowing French and then putting on a French accent. He seems to have undergone a transformation of sorts to really look credible as a French wine-maker cum a very convincing con man! Meg Ryan seemed one the whole more made-up than any other movie I've seen her in. But her expressions were as usual capital, really hilarious! Her reaction after eating too much cheese on the train left me in splits! There she is praising the French for having 452 types of cheese and the next instant she can't even bear the mention of cows! Some of her angst-ridden outbursts against men were totally understandable!

Timothy Hutton is one of those underrated actors who seriously deserves more challenging roles. The only other films I've seen him in are 'Ordinary People'(in which he was really brilliant. Thoroughly deserved his Oscar) and 'Mr. and Mrs. Loving'(in which her did a good turn as a Southerner in the 1950s-60s who gets married to a black woman against the law in South). He's a treat to watch in 'French Kiss' as the basically confused, prone-to-chauvinism Charlie! It would be an understatement to say that I liked the locales. France is one THE most beautiful countries and I'm glad they didn't restrict the location to Paris. I enjoyed more the part in Luc's village, complete with Ryan's witty sarcasm: "Fester, Fester, Rot, Rot. Poor you, you live over here"! This movie is not for the wine buffs('A Walk in the Clouds' with its mixture of wine and romance is recommended). It's for those who like romantic comedies and France! C'est irresistible!

Oh, and the song 'Dream A Little Dream' in French is one more sure selling point!

It's a beautiful movie. Worth watching! And just if you (as I believe) a remake with better screen romance, try watching the Malayalam remake, it is filled with better comedy and better chemistry between the leads. The only thing this movie does better is fill in all the holes in the remake, which yeah I see first!

This is a pretty decent romcom featuring a typically off-kilter performance from everymouse Meg Ryan, and another lovable rogue from Kline, with some nice little set-ups and lots of fun gags. The only quibble I would have with the piece is that with the great wealth of wonderful French talent available, Hollywood would only accept one of its own putting on a fairly decent but occasionally ropey comedy French accent in the lead. Not that the target audience would worry though, as this is easy-watching no-brain romcom fun done well.

I have watched French Kiss several times because I have the video tape. The plot is not exactly sophisticated and it is highly unlikely that "Kate" Meg Ryan (You've Got Mail) would fall in love with someone like "Luc Teyssier" Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda) because she is too wise for that. But I enjoyed the music and the photography. Kevin Kline sings "La Mer" after the movie ends. I like Lawrence Kasdan (The Accidental Tourist, The Big Chill). French Kiss is a good movie for a snowy day, it is a feel good, cute little movie. I recommend it! My favorite Scenes: Kate hiding behind trees and trays of pastry in the restaurant where her ex-fianceé is with his new girl friend and family. That scene made me think of Lucille Ball. Is is something that Lucy would do.

My favorite quote: Kate's friend: "You guys are crazy, I am never going to buy a house or anything else worth anything! " Kate: "Why not?" Friend: "Because you think you owe something like that and it end up owing you, and then one day someone forgets to put out their cigarette and it all burns to the ground."

A French petty criminal (Kevin Kline) tries to smuggle a stolen diamond necklace by plane from Canada to France, by planting it to a girl (Meg Ryan) who is traveling to retrieve her ex-fiance from a new girlfriend. There is also a good-hearted cop played by Jean Reno, always a welcome spice in French comedies. This romantic comedy is neither overly romantic nor particularly funny, but it is quite decently written and shot and is a good choice for brain relaxation, but not for re-watching.

6/10

Certainly the most underrated movie of the 90's and perhaps of all time. This is the only movie (excluding 30's comedies and few other pic such as The Wild Bunch and Lawrence of Arabia) that I have seen more than 3 times. The story line is spot-on. The arc of the film manages a difficult feat: two plots, one involving Meg Ryan and the other focussing on Kevin Kline, maintain their integrity and also merge together. This is the kind of romantic comedy that makes sense and nonsense at the same time. Kevin Kline performs perfectly. Meg Ryan is very good--much better than in Sleepless in Seattle. This film has a high believability quotient. Kline's charisma matches that of Peter Falk in the Columbo series. Which is quite a compliment. See this film

Meg Ryan gives a cracking good comedic performance as a woman jilted by her fiancé, flying from Canada to Paris, France to retrieve him, but finding love instead with a scruffy French thief. However, she's the only good thing in the film, which is an underwhelming, cookie-cutter paste-up job. Lawrence Kasdan directs in flighty, old-fashioned spirits, but he can't do much with a sub-plot about the thief's many indiscretions, nor with the detective on his tail(how original), another thief who steals Meg's luggage, a missing passport which never turns up, a stolen necklace, and Meg's life savings of $45K that gets handed over too easily. Not enough attention is paid to the details, but since the romantic angle of the story takes a long while to get its flame on High, what else can we wonder about? Ryan is terrific, tossing off wisecracks and nonchalant witticisms, but she has to carry this faux-bauble a long way to the predictable finish line...and no actress should ever again be made to cartwheel over a dessert tray for a laugh, and then scamper crazily around on the floor splattered with sweets.

Kate (Meg Ryan) is a careful history teacher in Toronto and deadly fearful of flying. Her fiancé Charlie (Timothy Hutton) is going to Paris and she won't go with him. She's waiting for her Canadian citizenship. Kate has created lots of plans like buying a house and Charlie is uncertain. Then he drunkenly calls about falling in love with French goddess Juliette. She nervously flies and then bombastic French thief Luc Teyssier (Kevin Kline) sits next to her. He takes her mind off of flying. He hides a stolen necklace and smuggled grape vine in her bag to go through customs. His friend Inspector Jean-Paul Cardon (Jean Reno) insists on giving him a ride. She goes to ambush Charlie at his hotel. Her bag is stolen when she faints after seeing Charlie kissing Juliette.

A flustered Meg Ryan is fun. A fake French Kevin Kline is not. The fake French accent gets annoying. She has a short haircut and her character at the start doesn't fit. Their chemistry is not quite right but it is still Meg Ryan with Kevin Kline. They are apart too much but they have some fun moments together. Meg Ryan maintains her adorable quotient with a bit too much wackiness. The humor is a bit too broad. I don't know how to feel about Ryan saying she will triumph while in front of the Arch de Triumph. It is certainly not subtle but it's not actually smart. The slapstick is broad and sometimes funny.

I've never seen Meg Ryan or Kevin Kline play better - they had a fantastic chemistry and it was a roller coaster ride of fun the whole way through - I just wish the film were longer! I was really impressed, every scene produced stomach-aching laughter! It is definitively one of the best movies America has ever produced! Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline make such a cute couple - very mignon!!! I was astonished when, after further researching on the then enigmatic Kevin Kline, I discovered he is not actually french!!!! I have gained such an incredible respect for him now! I loved everyone in the movie, except for Charlie (what a moron!!) Juliette's portrayal was extremely well done - she is so beautiful!!! This is undoubtedly a MUST-SEE movie for all the dreamers out there!!!!

"French Kiss" is a light comedy caper and romance. The humor is sparse and the caper is two-fold. The idea for the plot is good, but the screenplay is very weak and pitiful in places. A good script could have made this a rollicking comedy or a much better comedy-romance. As it is, the romantic aspect is far out and too hard to believe.

Meg Ryan plays Kate, who takes off for Europe in pursuit of her fiancé who has gone astray. On a business trip, he meets a French girl, supposedly falls in love and sets a wedding date with her. Yes, far out.

The saving aspect of the film comes totally from Kevin Kline who plays Luc Teyssier. One suspects that Kline took the role in such an otherwise poor screenplay solely for the chance to play the Frenchman, with solid French accent in his English. Kline is one of the best actors at being able to play various languages and their accents in English. And, his character is the only one with any substance in this film - and not that much at that.

It's a light comedy romance with some good scenery in France. Otherwise, it's soon forgettable after viewing.

I have to admit that Meg Ryan is a likable star with plenty of comic shtick to call on.. But she really flounders in this. The problem is that although there are some potentially funny situations, the dialog isn't sharp enough and the scenes far from expertly handled.

I have to admit it perks up a bit when they get to Cannes, but only to "watchable". Offhand, I can remember one funny line, and Kevin Kline is hideous.

I hate the fact you have to post a certain number of lines. That really gets on my tits. I wonder if this system is adequately smart enough to detect this.