French Kiss -- 2 hrs w/ a neurotic Meg Ryan

French Kiss. Lawrence Kasdan's lazy mid-90s film about Kate (Meg Ryan) who travels to Paris to win back her fiance, a doctor who has fallen in love w/ a french "goddess" while on a business trip. She becomes acquainted w/ Luc (Kevin Kline), an unkempt vagabond who hides a necklace in her purse and follows her on various misadventures in order to retrieve it.

That's the premise. Is the movie any good? Roger Ebert has pointed out that the movie is flawed b/c it tries to be both a romance and a comedy and ends up unsatisfactorily somewhere in the middle. I agree, and would add that the bigger flaws are the story is flat and actionless. We're observing the lives of immature individuals (Kate is obsessive and neurotic; Luc is obnoxious, lacks self-discipline, and lies) who run around France in search of a deadbeat fiance and a piece of expensive jewelry, respectively. The simple story would be acceptable if the screenplay contained one ounce of wit or creative conversation. Sadly, it offers mere crumbs to an audience starving for a tasty baguette.

About an hour in to the film, one begins to wonder -- will Meg Ryan ever grow out of her neurosis? Or will it be a lifetime shtick....as it has been w/ Diane Keaton. Occasionally, Ryan tries to broaden her range and descends into more dramatic material (Addicted to Love, In the Cut, Against the Ropes), but not many of her deeper dives as an actress have warranted any special acclaim (though I found her capable in Courage Under Fire) . So let's say she limits herself primarily to romances and comedies in the future. Does she have room to grow as a comedic talent? Sure. Does anybody think she can grow as a comedic talent? Well, anything's possible if you set your mind to it. Clearly, to do so, she needs to play a character w/ self-confidence, personality, and determination. Please spare us a third lackadaisical "Kate" (she was Kate in French Kiss and Kate in Kate and Leopold). I think a truly classic romantic comedy w/ Meg Ryan will occur at some point. I just hope she's still looking cute and perky when it arrives in theaters.