Sidewalks Of New York

By TIM WATKIN

(Herald rating: * * * )

"I guess my life isn't what I thought it would be," says someone near the beginning of Sidewalks. I didn't note which of the half-dozen main characters said it, probably because it could have been any of them. Although this is a wry comedy, at the film's centre sits the curse of adult disappointment and the unlimited human potential to yearn for love and then screw it up.

The plot works as a circle of romantic - or what passes for romance in self-gratifying New York - and sexual connections.

Tommy has been kicked out by his girlfriend and meets Maria in the video shop. Maria's divorced from Ben and Ben is falling for teenager Ashley. Ashley is having an affair with the wonderfully foul Griffin, who is married to Annie. Annie, who's in real estate - and denial about her marriage - is showing Tommy new apartments now his girlfriend's kicked him out. Phew ... made it.

It's a complicated ring of relationships, but following it is surprisingly easy and Burns - who wrote, directed and stars in this - deserves credit for that.

Burns has reverted to type in presenting this slice of modern urban life, recalling his debut film, The Brothers McMullen. Only this is not quite as good.

The film's strength is the dialogue - believable and delivered in realistic, stuttering fashion by a strong cast. Tucci, predictably, and Graham, surprisingly, stand out, but all the characters are well defined.

It's just that you wouldn't want to spend much time with any of them. They're all pretty unhappy, self-obsessed egoists looking for the path of least resistance.

In between the dramatic scenes, the various characters give their versions of events to some anonymous film crew in the street.

This style works well, but, complete with the hand-held camera, it's hardly revolutionary any more. Some of the observations draw a smile and sympathy. But in the end, the relationships that the movie is all about mean so little to these self-absorbed people, they matter even less to those of us in the audience.

While Burns tries to finish on a hopeful note, the overwhelming feeling as you leave the theatre is that they deserve each other.

Cast: Edward Burns, Heather Graham, Stanley Tucci, Brittany Murphy

Director: Edward Burns

Rating: M (offensive language and sexual references)

Running time: 107m

Screening: Village, Rialto