Joe is an out of work actor who is also struggling with his relationship with Mary who has lots of rage inside. Joe's actor friend Bob has just got a job on a soap opera but is caught up in his desire for a `real' blonde despite having fallen for the available model Sahara. The films follows their lives in the world of minor celebrity.
Despite having done good with the subject of film making in `Living in Oblivion', the director doesn't do as well when it comes to the world of the minor celebrity. The plot is a little jumbled it wants to make fun of the world but also seriously follow the people it makes fun of in their relationships. Also it makes fun of Bob's acting but yet has plenty of respect for Joe simply because he keeps quoting `Death of a Salesman'. The satirical edge is nice and produces some funny moments but the relationship stuff is muddled.
There are plenty of famous cameos and most are good. Lloyd, Turner, Leary, Buscemi, Chappelle, Von Bargen etc all show their faces. In the leads Modine is OK but because the director doesn't know if he's part of the joke or a serious character then we don't know how to approach him either. Keener tries hard and is OK but Caulfield is the best of the bunch simply because we know he's meant to be a bit of a comedy figure.
The film manages to loose it's laughs in a sea of serious asides. The worst being the theme of the old black woman and her dog getting stolen. We keep going back to her and she has the last theme in the film why? If there was a message I must be too dumb to get it and it certainly didn't really fit in with the rest of the movie.
Overall this has enough good moments to justify watching but it clearly lacks focus and loses it's way really easily.
Despite having done good with the subject of film making in `Living in Oblivion', the director doesn't do as well when it comes to the world of the minor celebrity. The plot is a little jumbled it wants to make fun of the world but also seriously follow the people it makes fun of in their relationships. Also it makes fun of Bob's acting but yet has plenty of respect for Joe simply because he keeps quoting `Death of a Salesman'. The satirical edge is nice and produces some funny moments but the relationship stuff is muddled.
There are plenty of famous cameos and most are good. Lloyd, Turner, Leary, Buscemi, Chappelle, Von Bargen etc all show their faces. In the leads Modine is OK but because the director doesn't know if he's part of the joke or a serious character then we don't know how to approach him either. Keener tries hard and is OK but Caulfield is the best of the bunch simply because we know he's meant to be a bit of a comedy figure.
The film manages to loose it's laughs in a sea of serious asides. The worst being the theme of the old black woman and her dog getting stolen. We keep going back to her and she has the last theme in the film why? If there was a message I must be too dumb to get it and it certainly didn't really fit in with the rest of the movie.
Overall this has enough good moments to justify watching but it clearly lacks focus and loses it's way really easily.