Proving that with solid direction, tight writing and strong performances an American remake can actually be as good as the foreign-language original, "The Last Kiss," an unusually perceptive dramedy about contemporary relationships also manages to stand quite capably on its own two feet. Adapted from the generally well-received 2002 Italian film, "L'Ultimo Bacio," by Gabriele Muccino, the serio-comic portrait of a group of young men in various stages of relationships who are all freaking out at the prospect of turning 30 has perceptive things to say that don't necessarily require punctuation by a punchline. Thanks to fresh, believable on-screen turns by an ensemble headed by Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett and Rachel Bilson, and crisp behind-the-camera work by director Tony Goldwyn and on-a-roll screenwriter Paul Haggis, the Paramount release, which was given a test-drive at the Toronto International Film Festival, should receive an enthusiastic smooch from the female-driven "Garden State" crowd when it opens Sept. 15.

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