Apartment 12

Before hitting the Hollywood mainstream, Mark Ruffalo (Just Like Heaven, Rumor Has It) was the boy next door in this modest shopworn 2001 romantic comedy from filmmaker Dan Bootzin. Ruffalo's Alex is a failed painter who, after being kicked out of the apartment he shared with his now ex-girlfriend, moves into the eponymous dwelling in a rundown complex only to discover that—surprise!—his neighbors are wacky, and the girl across the hall (Beth Ulrich) just might be the woman of his dreams. Also known as Life/Drawing, this is worth catching if only for Ruffalo's effortless charm, and perhaps for the unusual thematic approach: it's rare to find a film that dares to suggest a man should lower his expectations in order to secure a mate (and it's believable that artist Alex would maybe want a partner who has heard of Jackson Pollack and knows what the term “avant garde” means). Optional. [Note: DVD extras include an interview with Ruffalo. Bottom line: a small extras package for a small, uneven film.] (M. Johanson)