Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Pucker up for "Jessica"!
"Kissing Jessica Stein," directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, tells the story of a young, single, Jewish professional woman in New York City (the Jessica of the title, played by Jennifer Westfeldt). She's fed up with men after a series of bad experiences. Intrigued by a "woman-seeks-woman" personal ad, Jessic decides to give lesbianism a try. The object of her often clumsy affection is Helen (Heather Juergensen), a sexy art gallery manager.This movie hooked me from its outrageous opening scene, in which Jessica, her mother, and her grandmother bicker and gossip about men during a Day of Atonement service. "Jessica" is a wonderfully funny and sweet film, filled with witty dialogue and some genuinely touching moments. The ensemble cast is superb. Westfeldt and Juergensen shine in the lead roles. Westfeldt, who looks remarkably like Lisa Kudrow, is reminiscent of a young female Woody Allen in this quirky, neurotic role. Juergensen brings an irreverent sensuality to her role. The two are delicious together. Although the whole supporting cast is great, I was particularly moved by Tovah Feldshuh as Jessica's loving mother. I'm sure people will be tempted to pigeonhole "Jessica" as a "lesbian" movie, a "New York" movie, and/or a "Jewish" movie. It's certainly all of these, but its charm and universality also transcend all categories. It's about love, family ties, friendship, self-knowledge, and other issues that are relevant to everybody. And the film is populated with a wonderful group of characters -- male and female, Jewish and gentile, straight, gay, and "bi-curious" -- who are treated with affection and respect by the filmmakers. My advice: whatever your own preferences, prepare to kiss "Jessica" and love it.
Rating: - Brilliant Acting, Sharp Writing, Funny and Touching
This film had something for everyone: a loving view into a Jewish family, including a beautiful Shabbat ceremony we rarely get to see on-screen; a relationship between two women, each of whom wants to find the right someone who "gets" her; and a theme about having the courage to go after the things you want the most. Scott Cohen is gorgeous and appealing as Josh Meyers, Jessica Stein's difficult boss, ex-boyfriend and friend of her brother. Cohen moves Josh from bitter and judgmental through a significant journey, especially when he sees Jessica summon the courage to be happy and seek her dreams. He shows off his unique ability to bring complexity and heart to otherwise difficult characters. He sings beautifully, too! Tovah Feldshuh is brilliant and touching as the Jewish mother with a true understanding of her daughter. This is no caricature here: she has one of the most touching scenes in the entire film. Jackie Hoffman was fun and funny as Jessica's best friend and coworker Joan, who lives vicariously through Jessica and Helen's adventures. Jennifer Westfeldt (Jessica Stein) and Heather Juergensen (Helen Cooper) wrote, produced and starred in this wonderful, touching, funny view of single life in New York today. In fact, New York itself was a character in this film, providing both opportunities and barriers to the relationships among the characters. The writing and performances are fast and brilliant, and the characters are drawn very well. It's sometimes hard to hear this fast-paced film because the audience is laughing so much. I highly recommend it!
Rating: - A lightheated story about a woman to woman romance
Written by the Jennifer Westfelt, (who plays Jessica) and Heather Jurgensen (who plays Helen), this romantic comedy explores a romantic relationship between two women. Both are typical New York urbanites, both are young and pretty and both have had their share of men. But then, on a whim, Helen puts an ad in the newspaper seeking a woman. Also on a whim, Jessica answers. The results are both real and funny and I found myself laughing out loud as they awkwardly get to know each other and ultimately fall in love. There are complications of course. Jessica's Jewish mother (Tovah Feldshuh) keeps trying to play matchmaker with a wide variety of men, her boss and former boyfriend (Scott Cohen) is still interested in her, and her brother's wedding is coming up to which she is reluctant to invite Helen. I totally enjoyed this film. It was the New York I know with the exception of the downtown skyline, which I understand, was purposely avoided because of the 9/11 tragedy. The characters were individuals, not stereotypes and the humor was really funny. The director, Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, was able bring the humor to every scene and kept the tone lighthearted and real. I'm not so sure I liked the ending, but there are hints throughout and certain inevitability to it. Don't miss this small gem. You'll not only come away smiling, but you'll get a bit of insight into a heretofore very lightly explored world. Recommended.
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