Starring David Schwimmer, Jason Lee and Mili Avital Directed by Doug Ellin Rated R with much profanity Running time 100 minutes Jack gives this film a rating of 7 out of 10

(Feb. 27, 1998) -- To finally succeed on the big screen, David Schwimmer of TV's Friends apparently decided it was time to say "No more Mr. Nice Guy."

And it was a smart move. In the amusing Kissing a Fool, which he also co-produces, Schwimmer plays a character 180 degrees from the vulnerable, sensitive Ross of Friends.

He's Max, a foul-mouthed, self-centered Chicago sports announcer and all-around Lothario. He scores more often than the Cubs and the White Sox combined.

Then Max meets Samantha Andrews (Mili Avital), a smart, attractive book editor. Sparks fly, even though the two have almost nothing in common. After a whirlwind three-week romance, they become engaged.

Then Max has a horrifying thought: I won't be able to sleep with any woman but Sam for the rest of my life! What if Sam isn't the right woman?

He devises a devious test, asking his best friend, a novelist named Jay (Jason Lee), to seduce Sam. If she succumbs, he'll call off the engagement.

Of course, we've come to realize that the bright, thoughtful Jay is the guy for her, anyway.

This romantic triangle en route to the altar isn't much more than a role-reversal twist on My Best Friend's Wedding. Like Julia Roberts in that film, Schwimmer has the unenviable task of carrying a film as a disreputable character.

But he pulls it off by diving into the script's sharp dialogue with robust humor and cocky charm.

Less successful is Lee (of Chasing Amy) as Jay. His is the sensitive, literate, nice-guy role that Schwimmer might have played if the Friends star didn't want to stretch.

Lee isn't as self-assured in the good-guy role, nor does he project the kind of depth that would allow us to believe he could write a novel in the midst of personal turmoil.

As Samantha, Avital is attractive and intelligent, though a bit too bright to fall for a Don Juan jock like Max.

Still, you'll find much to enjoy here, including clever conversation and amusing asides. The script by director Doug Ellin (of Phat Beach) and co-writer James Frey keeps Kissing a Fool moving with well-staged scenes, crisp editing and an ingratiating jazz-and-swing music score.

Mostly, though, the film has Schwimmer in a winning big-screen performance. When he can play enemies like this, who needs Friends?

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