Kiss Exchange - No Foreplay Without Aftermath

The not always easy relationship between men and women always provides material for amusing entertainment, whether in literature, television or cinema. Italian director Fausto Brizzi has tackled the battle of the sexes in two films at once. The 2010 hit film Maschi contro Femmine was followed this year by Kusswechsel, which has now made it to our cinemas following its huge success in Italy.

The film centres on a group of friends, each of whom has to deal with the pitfalls of everyday relationships. There's Anna (Luciana Littizzetto), for instance, who takes advantage of an accident resulting in memory loss suffered by her soccer-mad husband Piero (Emilio Solfrizzi) to mold a whole new sweetheart tailored to her wants and needs. Or Paola (Nancy Brilli), who once a year with her ex-husband Marcello (Claudio Bisio) pretends to be an ideal family, in order to make her former mother-in-law believe in an idyll that no longer exists. Too bad that the old woman is now so ill that she desperately wants to spend her last months with her family. Diana (Serena Autieri) and Valentina (Francesca Inaudi) have quite different problems: their husbands Rocco and Michele (Ficcara & Picone) have so far steadfastly refused to grow up. But will they give up their penchant for football collectibles and their Beatles cover band for their wives? Or will the battle of woman versus man finally break out?

Kisswechsel is a charming summer comedy with lots of Italian flair and plenty of amore. In itself just the right thing for a balmy summer evening. So the film also has quite a few very amusing moments to offer, such as Paola and Marcello's desperate attempts to make fictitious holiday videos for their ailing mother-in-law. But Piero's involuntary transformation from unfaithful macho to loving househusband is also good for quite a few laughs. Still, the Italian answer to Männerherzen has to contend with two problems that stand in the way of a similar success as in Italy for Germany.

Probably the biggest problem is that Kusswechsel is basically a sequel. Many of the characters from the comedy have already been seen in Maschi contro Femmine, which is why they don't need much introduction here. This makes the characters seem a bit flat and superficial. Moreover, the production is very loud and hectic, which in a way seems charming and amusing. But after a while the wild gestures and the loud chattering get on your nerves a bit.

Below the line, however, Kusswechsel offers nice entertainment despite its weaknesses. The characters are charming in a very special way and the battle of the sexes is staged humorously and romantically. Although the comedy can not quite keep up with other representatives of the genre, but who is looking for a romantic cinema fun with southern flair, the kiss exchange can definitely be recommended.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp