"Kissing Jessica Stein", the story of a choosy Jewish American living in Manhattan, owes something to "Bridget Jones", a little to Sex and the City, but more to über-neurotic Woody Allen. As a bittersweet romantic comedy with a (gender) twist, anyone who's ever felt terminally single will empathise with the heroine's romantic plight, and the drastic measures she takes to improve her love life.

In danger of being left on the highest shelf, Jessica (Westfeldt), a bored copywriter, attempts swapping sides by answering a woman's personal ad. A date ensues with Helen (Juergensen) an easy-going bisexual gallery owner.

Helen forces Jessica to let her hair down, but while she wants sex, Jessica just wants company, and therein lies the very humorous dilemma. Meanwhile, Jessica's onetime squeeze and current boss Josh (Cohen), who hasn't used her first name in years, notices a spring in her step and takes an interest again.

The female leads are well played by the screenwriters themselves, demonstrating a sabre-sharp wit and edge missing from the average Hollywood fare. As a berating maternal harpy, Jessica’s mother Judy (Feldshuh) has more warmth and humanity than the usual Jewish mother stereotype, and all the characters, despite flaws, are in some way endearing.

The ending isn't entirely convincing, but it's easy to forgive flaws in such a hilarious date movie, and the history of first-date hell sequence is priceless.