AllMovie

Doug Ellin's uninspired romantic comedy Kissing a Fool fails to utilize its two biggest assets. Bonnie Hunt has perfect comedic timing and is an appealing screen presence. More or less acting as narrator for the story should allow Hunt to put her unique delivery to good use, but the material is so devoid of laughs that she is stranded. She punches the good lines, arguably making them better than they have any right to be, but just as often she is left stranded by the tone-deaf screenplay. Jason Lee has proven he can play charming, quirky, and likable, but whatever goodwill he can muster from the audience dissipates once the by-the-numbers story takes over. The film sets up a mystery early on, not letting the viewer know which of the two men the girl will end up with, but most viewers should be able to figure out in the first ten minutes where the story is headed. David Schwimmer's performance is full of the same vocal tics and facial expressions that made him a star on television's Friends, but here those mannerisms come off as unctuous and lazy. Having no emotional stake in any of the characters or the story makes for a long, dull viewing experience.