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Prelude to a Kiss
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Directed by Norman Rene.
In this quirky romantic comedy about soul transference, Alec Baldwin plays Peter Hoskins, the straight-laced head of the microfiche department at a company that publishes scientific journals. When he meets a free-spirited, sleep-deprived bartender named Rita (Meg Ryan), the opposites attract and launch into a round-the-clock romance characterized by private jokes and an intense connection that defies description. When the two decide to marry, however, an unforeseeable cosmic occurrence entirely alters the nature of their relationship. Those who claim that marriage changes a person couldn't be more right in this case, as a confused old man (Sydney Walker) wanders into the wedding reception and plants a single kiss on the lips of the new bride. Longing for the youthfulness he sees in the happy couple, the man inadvertently causes the two to switch bodies during the smooch. Thinking no one will believe the story, Rita (now hidden inside a cancer-ridden octogenarian) leaves the premises before causing any more of a stir, while the old man in Rita's body is whisked off with Peter on their honeymoon before anyone is the wiser. Soon, Peter begins noticing that his new bride is an entirely different person, but can't figure out why -- and wonders if it's just a natural dose of cold feet. When he can no longer ignore the total dissimilarity, Peter begins suspecting that something supernatural has occurred, and wondering how he can restore his wife to her former self, especially when her body's new occupant resists the effort and goes on the lam. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
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Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
is neutral about it.
Of all the movies about the old and young swapping bodies -- and there were too many to count in the late '80s and early '90s -- Prelude to a Kiss is both the most eccentric and the most satisfying. Because it has the courage to confound the viewer for much of the narrative, leaving Alec Baldwin to interact with an old man rather than the significantly cuter Meg Ryan, the film didn't really succeed and left a number of prominent critics cold. However, Craig Lucas' adaptation of his own stage play never wanted to be the kind of romantic comedy in which Ryan specializes, as evidenced by the off-kilter courtship between Baldwin and Ryan during the first act, which is notably free from "cute" moments. The leads strike up an odd rapport that is at first off-putting, then so unconventionally natural that it makes wonderful sense, showcasing an effortless chemistry between them. And so it is just a little disappointing when the two are separated by the mystical contrivance that fuels the rest of the plot. But Lucas and director Norman Rene are to be credited for exploring the choices Baldwin must confront, as a new husband who has promised to stay by his spouse "in sickness and in health," and, presumably, "in and out of body" as well. The screenplay's more overt contemplations about the yearning to walk in another's shoes are sometimes clunky, but the overall tone is refreshingly offbeat, making Prelude to a Kiss a curious and winning diversion from the mainstream. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
 



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