Album Reviews
Movies
Concert Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

La claque! Elle est francaise! Well, that is the extent of my French language vocabulary. You don't need to go beyond this in Melanie Mayron's new comedy, Slap Her…She's French because it is so, like SO American. We have the story of an over-achiever who is so used to having everything go her way, she doesn't see the worm in the apple until it is way too late. The script is really another version of the classic Bette Davis/Anne Baxter film, All About Eve. When someone gazes at you with adoration for your achievements, watch for the knife in the back.

Slap Her…She's French has many things stacked against it. No top stars, another teen flick, cheerleaders with football-star boyfriends, kid brothers, parents living in their own reality, two vomit scenes---and yet, it doesn't take itself seriously. This is an over-the-top-but-I-love-it film in which newcomer Jane McGregor does her best imitation of Reese Witherspoon (and gets away with it), while Piper Perabo (Coyote Grill) lays on the little-girl-from-France routine with a trowel and gets away with it.

McGregor’s ambition as Starla the cheearleader is to be the hostess of "Good Morning, America." In order to beat out all the competition in yet another pageant and get a scholarship to attend broadcasting school, Starla's friend uses God as part of her speech. To top that, Starla announces her family will host the town's first-ever foreign exchange student. Enter Genevieve (Perabo), who at first glance gives mousy new meaning. But when Ed the school photographer (Trent Ford) takes a fetching photo of Genevieve, Starla goes out the window. Genevieve begins to rule the school and even Starla's family!

Slap Her…She's French is not a sidesplitting comedy, but I found enough chuckles to put it on the plus side and cheerleaders are not pencil-thin, rather they look like healthy girls. On the down side, besides the two vomit scenes, there is a comment about putting a dog in a microwave which will make animal activists cringe, a French language translation that is crude, mushrooms placed in a shake to make someone high and a young person using an obscene word.

The actors make this film. If the script were a bit more polished, Slap Her…She's French would be wit, indeed. As it stands, it is a slightly-above-average comedy about teenage ambition with a capital "A."

Copyright 2002 Marie Asner
Submitted 9/21/2002