Kissing Jessica Stein

On the leading edge of romantic comedy, this fresh, frank and melodiously funny crowd-pleaser discovers a novel avenue to stroll down with the genre's reliable old friend, the romantically frustrated New York neurotic. A history of bad dates and dysfunctional relationships leads Jessica Stein (Jennifer Westfeldt) to answer a "Woman Seeking Woman" personal ad on a whim, and after nervously bonding over lipstick brands, Jessica and Helen (Heather Juergensen)--two bi-curious women--embark on sweetly comical, romantic and sexual misadventures. Driven by well-developed characters who are easy to fall for, Kissing Jessica Stein (adapted by the two co-stars from their own off-off-Broadway production) is popping with personality, amusing awkwardness and idiosyncratic, naturally chatty one-liners. While the film has some elements in common with several other romantic comedies, the bi-curious twist really breathes new life into the more pedestrian elements. Gay or straight, this is one of the best date movies in years. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentaries by director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld and cinematographer Lawrence Sher, and by actresses-writers-producers Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt; a combination of 10 deleted scenes/outtakes with optional commentary by Juergensen and Westfeldt; and a nine-minute making-of featurette with footage at NYC's Arc Light Theater where the play first ran. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a wonderful film.] (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—June 3, 2014—Fox, 97 min., R, $16.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2001's Kissing Jessica Stein features a nice transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras are identical to the previous DVD release, including two audio commentaries (by director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld and cinematographer Lawrence Sher; and by filmmaker costars Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt), outtakes and an original ending with optional commentary by Juergensen and Westfeldt (25 min.), a “making-of” featurette (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: this winsome indie rom-com makes a welcome Blu-ray debut.]