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Who knew they could be so funny?? Christopher Meloni and Janel Moloney are known more for their outstanding work in some of television's hottest dramas. ("Law & Order: SVU" and "The West Wing") Put them together on the big screen and what you get is an engaging romantic comedy with plenty of laughs.

The actors develop the story's ongoing relationship with impressive skill, leaving the audience bound to fall in love with Barry Singer (Meloni), despite the fact he's a standup comic who also happens to be a mean-spirited, sexist jerk.

You'll be rooting for him even as he takes all his insecurities with the opposite sex and chases Thea (Moloney) halfway around the country in hopes of winning her heart. They have so little in common...but when Barry finally opens his heart, you'll wonder why Thea keeps running away.

The Souler Opposite is a wonderful movie with an incredible cast and a gifted writer. Well worth your time.

I finally got myself set up on mail order DVD rental so I could find movies not available to me in the stores. I chose The Souler Opposite because I love Christopher Meloni, and also like small, often ignored films.

This one is such a treat! Meloni has such charm in this part. It's easy to pigeon hole him is you only ever see him as his alter ego Elliot Stabler (LOSVU). In this film, Meloni is an out of step unattached mid-lifer who is hitting the skids in many ways, only to find a path to happiness in someone unexpected.

The relationship drawn between Barry (Meloni) and Tim Busfield's character is realistic and not over done. I haven't seen Busfield since 30something, and he was fun to watch. But it was all Chris' film. I became such a fan girl all over again.

It is a bit slow in the beginning, I will admit. I thought some of the "flashbacks" could have been edited down. But overall, this film will delight you - male or female - as it has an honest, refreshing view of relationships today.

Story of Barry, a middle-age, loser, want-a-be comedian who has issues with women, and Theo, a young, pottery, poetry, political activist who says she is emotionally unavailable.

Barry is rude, crude, and offensive to women both in his act and in his life. Barry's comedy act is so bad he can no longer get jobs on the L.A. comedy circuit.

One night, after getting beat up by a couple who found his comedy offensive, Barry meets Thea who was waitressing at the comedy club that evening and comes to his aid after he is knocked down. Unbelievably she finds him funny even though her friends tell her he is offensive to women and most people watching the movie would tell her the same thing.

Barry attempts to use humor in every part of his life to cover his insecurities. He also justifies his behavior to being deflowered by a prostitute his father hired for him on his 16th birthday. Apparently his humor is suppose to be like Woody Allen's humor. A New York style though Barry is in L.A. It fails miserably and Woody Allen should sue.

This probably the first time Barry was laid since he was 16. Of course he wants a relationship which she is ambivalent about. Thea apparently only wants him as a friend with "benefits". That's what she says! The rest of the movie is them trying to figure out their relationship and if they want one together. Well... not that interesting as I didn't want to continue describing the "boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy wants, needs, girl again" play-by-play.

Also in the movie is Barry's best friend with his marital situation, Barry's struggle on the comedy club scene and rivals, and talk of lesbians and their secret society and tattoos. Trust me.. it's not interesting.

After some talk about Thea being involved with women's issues in the first half of the movie, the second half of the movie has Thea become a political campaign worker for Jerry Brown for president in 1992, then shows footage from the Clintons' campaign. This campaign work serves as an impediment to their relationship, introduces a rival for Thea's affections, and also means to show the "good guys" as being Democrats and slip in a comment about Republicans. Then it is back to "let's have a relationship?"

Barry's character is so repulsive and offensive towards women that even when they soften him later and try to make him more sympathetic and a worthy romantic person for Thea, he still is identified as repulsive in most viewer's mind. The movie's writer did too good of a job making Barry offensive. I haven't seen the actor playing Barry in other roles so I am not sure if he has a natural knack at being offensive or is a really good actor. I see IMDb has him listed for the movie "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" so he must have an affinity for this type of role.

I wouldn't want to meet any of the movie's characters in real life and I am sorry I wasted 1 hr 44 minutes on this film. I had to keep watching to see how in the world they would turn Barry from offensive to sympathetic. The answer: Barry went from being offensive to pathetic. That is how the movie tried to make Barry sympathetic. Now the question is.. do women like pathetic guys as much as they like offensive jerks?

Oh yeah... lastly - how could I forget?! - mocking. Mocking is a theme as Thea feels Barry mocks her and he assures her he is not. He is just trying to be funny.

I happened upon this film by accident, and really enjoyed. Timothy Busfield's character is without redeeming qualities, and at one point, Busfield and star Meloni ogle women as they pass by...Meloni's take on the parade is different from Busfield's. Janel Maloney is terrific...She looks very much like Tea Leone, but the major difference here is that Janel can actually ACT. Some very nice things in this film and well worth your attention when it's on cable.

COME ON!!! They did that on purpose!! Two of my current faves on TV (Meloni from "Oz" and "L and O-SVU" and Janel from "West Wing") hook up for a nice little sleeper/character study. Plot's nothing fancy, but the acting is right on the mark. Tim Busfield shows up for some neat bits. Worth a look.