Addicted To Love

Addicted to Love is a rather unconventional romantic comedy, which is saying a lot considering how addicted to convention romantic comedies tend to be. What's impressive is that the film gives a sympathetic twist to the tricky premise of two people (Matthew Broderick and Meg Ryan) stalking their respective ex-lovers. Screenwriter Robert Gordon refuses to turn the story into a farcical "First Significant-Others Club," instead taking the risky step of making every character a complicated (if not entirely likeable) human. Director Griffin Dunne coaxes sharp performances out of his actors, particularly an atypically dark Ryan, but his pacing does create some jarring collisions between broad physical comedy and character development. There is nothing instantly adorable about Addicted to Love, just a series of small surprises in a genre where surprises are generally few and far between. Recommended. (S. Renshaw)