"French Kiss" is a romantic comedy aimed squarely at the audience that made a hit out of "Sleepless in Seattle". Don't think for one minute that the casting of Meg Ryan in this new film is sheer coincidence. Ryan plays a woman named Kate who journeys to France to confront her ex-fiance, Charlie, played by Timothy Hutton. Charlie had flown to Paris alone after being unable to convince Kate to set aside her fear of flying and accompany him. Convinced that she can win him back, she boards an airplane with trepidation, only to find an infuriating Frenchman named Luc (Kevin Kline) seated next to her.
Of course, by the end of the flight, Kate and Luc are at least friendly with each other. This is exactly according to Luc's plan for he is able to smuggle a stolen diamond necklace into France by placing it in Kate's bag without her knowledge. Through a comedy of errors, however, the necklace is misplaced.
Despite this major setback, Luc is willing to help Kate win back the affections of Charlie. Luc's part is primarily to woo Charlie's new French fiance (Susan Anbeh) into bed while Kate makes herself appear unattainable to Charlie, a ploy meant to intrigue him. Of course, somewhere along the way, Luc has himself developed feelings for Kate.
First, what's wrong with "French Kiss" could fill volumes. For starters it has the most inane subplots about Kate's inability to find the Eiffel Tower and her inability to leave the country because she is a U.S. citizen in the process of becoming a Canadian citizen. Next we come to the main plot, which is a story that would be right at home on any of a number of sitcoms. And then there's the film's ending, during which a highly improbable transaction takes place. Finally, we top it off with a running gag about male impotence.
What's right about the film, though, is twofold. The first of this is the interaction between Kate and Luc. Theirs is a complex relationship which evolves over the course of the entire movie. The dialogue between these two characters is of a generally higher caliber than the rest of the writing in the film. The second thing the film finds in its favor is an impressive performance by Kevin Kline. His French accent is absolutely flawless and he is utterly convincing in the role of an endearing rogue. Kline is the saving grace of "French Kiss".