Fast Food, Fast Women

There's an intangible charm to this considerably imperfect dramedy about a handful of aging, vaguely interconnected New Yorkers frustrated by the fact that they are still looking for love. An uneven and under-rehearsed Woody Allen wannabe, Fast Food, Fast Women absolutely screams "my first low-budget indie," even though writer-director Amos Kollek has been making movies for 15 years. But the characters--a weary 35-year-old waitress (Anna Thomson) set up with a cocky jerk of a Don Juan (Jamie Harris), a widowed retiree (Robert Modica) on the verge of depression, and the flaky, lonely divorcee (Louise Lasser) who answers his personal ad--are realistically uneasy with themselves, driving home the theme that people don't always grow more confident and comfortable with themselves as they age. Admittedly, big chunks of the film are amateurish and the finale devolves into a farfetched urban fairy tale, but the talented cast rises above the problems, and the warmth and empathy at the movie's core ultimately overcome everything about it that's frustrating. A strong optional purchase. (R. Blackwelder)