Music Box Films

Judith (Virginie Ledoyen) and Nicolas (Emmanuel Mouret) are friends who become lovers.

She is Emilie (Julie Gayet), a beautiful Parisian. He is Gabriel (Michael Cohen), handsome in the way of French romantic cinema.

They meet by chance in Nantes. A visitor to the French city, she asks where she can get a taxi. He says he doesn't know. They part ways.

But wait -- was that a discreet spark of electricity in their fleeting exchange? Gabriel calls to the departing Emilie and offers to drive her to her hotel. There is a dinner. Wine, laughter, romantic lighting. The spark grows to a crackle. Gabriel leans in for a kiss and whatever might ensue.

Emilie is tempted, but resists. She knows that kisses can have consequences. Before they decide to buss or not to buss, she wants to tell Gabriel the cautionary true story of what happened when a young man and woman, best friends since childhood, entered into an ostensibly platonic lip-lock of their own.

Her tale forms the core of "Shall We Kiss?," a romantic comedy that can be tediously talkative but is more than redeemed by solid acting, a clever plot and a stunningly satisfying final scene. Afficionados of French love films will have to decide for themselves whether this is one of them -- or a sly parody of same. "Shall We Kiss?" is in French with English subtitles. And despite its subject, most of the sex play takes place off-screen. There is no nudity except for one briefly uncovered bosom.

In Emilie's story, Nicolas (Emmanuel Mouret, who also wrote and directed the film) complains to Judith (Virginie Ledoyen) that his life lacks "intimacy," meaning sex with kisses. Will she, as his longtime pal, provide it? Hmm, she muses, I'm happily married, you have a live-in -- but what are friends for?

Vive la France!

Their first sex scene, such as it is -- "May I put my hand there?" "May I kiss you?" "May I use my tongue this time?" -- is a hoot. It leads to increasingly less restrained encores (interspersed with copious discussion). Nicolas and Judith find themselves passionately in love but faced with a monumental dilemma: how to let down her loving husband and Nicolas' sweet girlfriend with maximum politeness and minimum pain.

Their solution fails "Shall We Kiss?" because of its utter implausibility. It fails the lovers because of its unexpectedly bleak aftermath. Thus the hazards of a casual kiss.

Which brings us back to Emilie and Gabriel. Do they or don't they? Not gonna tell, of course, but it's definitely worth the price of admission to find out. Despite its occasional lapses into talkiness, "Shall We Kiss?" is a genuinely diverting bit of Gallic farce. As for that final scene ... Oh, la la!