This well-paced, self-conscious, Stephen Fears-directed comedy is a good, if a bit fluffy-headed, diversion. John Cusack's Rob is the likable, frustrated record store owner who examines the problems in all of his romantic relationships when his current girl, Laura, breaks up with him. The subject of troubled romance, the New York-setting, the countless cultural references, plus Rob's incessant talking, often straight into the camera, are reminiscent of early Woody Allen. Only here, the results are neither as funny nor as intellectually stimulating as what Allen, at his best, achieves. That said, the movie certainly seems to be making a point about being purely about emotion, which in a way limits where it can go on a so-called deeper level. But the movie's success lies mostly in that it feels fresh. The characters are alive, and despite Rob constantly breaking the fourth wall, there's something truly tangible and alive about this world.
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