According to one of the taglines for this high school farce, "No French
people were hurt in the making of this movie." However, that exemplary
safety record will be shattered if any of our friends across the channel
ever set eyes on Melanie Mayron's vapid romp.
Meet Starla Grady (MTV hostess Jane McGregor) - homecoming queen, head
cheerleader and most popular student at Splendona High. Intent on becoming a news anchorwoman, this bubbly Texan won't let anything stand in her way. So when she learns her chances may be boosted by inviting a foreign exchange student into her home, she instantly arranges for Genevieve LePlouff ("Coyote
Ugly" star Piper Perabo) to join the family.
However, this beret-sporting interloper is not all she seems - as one listen to Perabo's woeful Parisian accent immediately makes clear. But it takes a
little time for Starla to realise she's been duped, by which time Genevieve
has contrived to get her disgraced, expelled and jailed for taking magic mushrooms.
Combining the broad stereotypes of "Clueless" and "Bring it On" with the classic snake-in-the-grass plot of "All About Eve", "Slap Her, She's French" mercifully steers clear of the gross-out antics that have dogged so many American
comedies of late. But there is precious little invention or ingenuity in their place, despite the heartening presence of "Spinal Tap" veteran Michael McKean as Starla's long-suffering French teacher.
Despite the odd snappy line - according to airhead Starla, "Barbie is a role model!" - and some agreeably tacky costumes and sets, this is more a case of
"Sacre bleu!" than "Magnifique".
Slap Her, She's French (2002)
