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By Lauren Zima, MSN Movies

In Search Of A Midnight Kiss: MSN Review

Despite its devastatingly drab title, In Search Of A Midnight Kiss is a refreshing, relatable romance. Pulling in audiences with a well-deserved groundswell of hype, It leaves us satisfyingly hopeful, yet realistically pensive.
In Search Of A Midnight Kiss (image © Rex Features)
A lovely but inappropriate Frank Sinatra tune welcomes us in, then the screen flashes a statistic about people looking for love on MySpace and dating site Craig’s List.  Resting on such a fast-wearing premise, we instantly fear two hours of net-dating.  A jarring reference to Lindsay Lohan is another worrying pop-culture reference.
 
Things fail to turn for the better as a rather conventional narration from the main character, Wilson (Scoot McNairy) introduces himself.  He’s a depressed man approaching 30 with little to show for it on a lonely New Year’s Eve.  He lives with his friend, Jacob, and Jacob’s girlfriend, Min.  Introductions are cumbersome, but if you can get through the first twenty minutes, the rest is worth your while.
 
Enter Vivian (Sara Simmonds): the blind date Wilson has set up through Craig’s List.  Vivian’s character is on a mission to meet a man for New Year’s Eve, though it’s not yet clear why.  She’s rejected the other men she’s ‘interviewed’ that day, but Wilson passes her test.  At first, the two don’t seem right for each other:  he’s quiet and intellectual while she’s brash and ditzy.  Even the slightest quarrel threatens to cut the fragile connection short.
 
In Search Of A Midnight Kiss (image © Rex Features)
But it’s the slow and steady build up of that connection that is touching and enchanting to witness.  Vivian and Wilson’s developing relationship pulls your heart up on to the screen with them - who doesn’t remember the awkward flirtations of a first date?  The silly, intrusive questions: “Tell me something you’ve never told anyone before,” Vivian says. The awkward dialogue builds to an enviable rapport between the two.
 
As their connection grows, we see deeper into each character and further into their stories; we come to find how much they need each other.  The night turns into a full-blown adventure, including a daring dash to Vivian’s house to collect her belongings from her psychotically controlling ex-boyfriend.
 
Still, this night is not just a fantasy.  Wilson accuses Vivian of being in search of ‘revenge sex’. Is it true?  Will they get their midnight kiss?  Will it be a Happy New Year?  These questions are answered with stunningly real and relatable portrayals of each character in the end, and the final moments will leave you contemplating your own relationships.
Four stars
A moving, relatable romance that satisfies the heart and sparks the mind.
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