Hello Lonesome

An easygoing drama-comedy by former Comedy Central writer Adam Reid, Hello Lonesome tells the stories of three unusual and unrelated relationships. One narrative thread concerns the coming-together of a sad, elderly widow (Lynn Cohen) and her odd duck of a divorced, middle-aged neighbor (James Urbaniak). The second tale stars Nate Smith as a sports gambler who begins a serious relationship with Debby (Sabrina Lloyd) just before she discovers she has advanced breast cancer. The final episode centers on Bill (Harry Chase), a fiftysomething professional announcer who records his work from a home studio, meaning he never has to go anywhere. That suits Bill fine: his wife has left him, his daughter has abandoned him, and he has little reason to do more than walk around in his briefs and shoot guns at nothing in particular. Bill needs a friend more than a soul mate, and that's what he gets—sort of—in Omar (Kamel Boutros), a deliveryman with whom Bill exchanges friendly insults. Reid's triptych—an interesting study in alienation—is helped along by some strong, quirky performances. Recommended. (T. Keogh)