200 Cigarettes

New Year's Eve 1981 in New York City finds a bunch of major losers looking for love in all the wrong places as they attempt to pair off before the big ball drops. Writer Shana Larsen and director Risa Bramon Garcia rounded up a cast that any filmmaker would kill for--including Ben and Casey Affleck, Angela Featherstone, Janeane Garofalo, Kate Hudson, Courtney Love, Jay Mohr, Martha Plimpton, Christina Ricca, and Paul Rudd--but then puts them to little use. All the performances are as good as Larsen's flat material warrants, but if pressed, one could single out Courtney Love as worthy of additional note. Ms. Love looks quite at ease playing the been-all-around-town party girl who is now trying to renegotiate the platonic clause in her friendship with hunky pal, Paul Rudd. First time helmer Garcia does a capable job, and the soundtrack is bouncy and campily nostalgic, but if this is supposed to be a party, point me to the coat room. Not recommended. (S. C. Sickles)