What makes it different from others?

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Though this movie is not perfect, I thought it was a lot better than what many people felt, looking at the comments and the box office. The acting, for the most part, is excellent. Modine does a great job of seeming clueless and clumsy in his approach to his acting career, but I rooted for him because his character REALLY wanted it, he just hadn't figured on how to get it. Keener was at her sparkling, sassy best.I think it's main problem is not so much the meandering, or the foibles of the characters: it's that the entire setting is so particular to New York I'm unsure about how much of the humor translates. This is not a patronizing jab at theuniverse beyond the five boroughs; my experiences made me howl at thingsthat others may find completely stupid. Anyone who's ever been an actor or in the fashion industry in NYC would find so many scenes uproariously funny. The catering scenes, especially, would be dear to the heart of any working actorwho's struggled in New York.This, by the way, was not an independent movie, it was a Paramount release.DeCillo, after the dismal box office, is back on the indie side of the fence. Good luck to him, I hope he continues to make movies.

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.

A great yet overlooked film with interesting and thought provoking messages. Excellent cast. Excellent direction. Any one living in new york city as a struggling artist will appreciate its take on success, exploitation, Holding to your beliefs, and handling life when things don't happen exactly how you wished they would. A very funny offbeat movie!

This is an OK movie. Nothing great, but worth a look if it's on cable. The real reason to watch this is to see the GORGEOUS Bridget Wilson. She is one of the most beautiful women in the world today. She even shows a VERY SHORT glimpse of one breast!! Check her out!