Les revers de l'amour

You can tell there is something in the writing and the directing and in so many areas. But everything here looks like potential and then most of it ends up ugly. In its effort to be honest it did have at least one really great gritty truth that resonated for me personally. But for the most part it was way too based in the lives of people who lack any foundation to manage to do well. For that matter I suppose that may be the essence of the writer and director, lacking a solid foundation. I so wanted to like this more than I did. And I did watch to the bitter end.

Two struggling young artists in Los Angeles.

He's an actor, mostly in commercials; she's a painter, tending bar by night. They meet cute; fall in love; move in together; fall out of love and try to figure out what went wrong.

That's the setup for writer/director Brian Klugman's romantic comedy "Baby Baby Baby."

The multitasking Klugman plays Sydney, the actor, while my fellow Toledo, Ohio, native Adrianne Palicki (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Friday Night Lights) portrays Sunny, the artist. The plot is nothing extraordinary, but both deliver engaging performances.

What is extraordinary? The totally unexpected celebrity cameos!

As Sydney attempts a transition from actor to writer, Klugman offers up three, once-scene vignettes to illustrate his thoughts – each acted out by celebrities. There is an Oscar winner, a cultural icon, an A-list leading man, an enduring beauty, a former comedian/sitcom actor; and a TV president/insurance pitchman. I have no idea how Klugman persuaded them to appear in his indie romcom, though I'm told that if you put in the time in Hollywood and aren't an asshole, you can generate a lot of goodwill.

Kelsey Grammar (Cheers, Frasier) also appears, in more than a cameo, playing a European gallery owner who gives Sunny her big break.

"Baby Baby Baby" is okay romcom with some drama. But it's the brilliantly written, brilliantly funny scenes with the celebrity cameos that put it in the "worth seeing" category.

Neurotic, insecure, redheaded men are rarely amusing to watch, which is why I generally avoid Woody Allen films. I now know to also avoid Brian Klugman films.

Klugman, as writer/director/neurotic-insecure-redheaded-star-of-film-about-self is apparently Woody Allen 2.0, right down to his inclusion of a plethora of A-list cameos from celebrity friends joining in for the hell of it.

There are some interesting ideas here, and one or two mildly amusing scenes, but by and large this film is masturbation and self-absorbed public flagellation with a semi-decent budget.

Although never downright depressing, this is far from a feel-good film, and the bittersweet ending is way more bitter than sweet. Avoid if you need cheering up. It's not a rom-com; it's therapy-by-filmmaking.

It is a realistic film about a romance that changes with time. The huge celebrity cameos are striking, and is the highlight for me.

I was lucky enough to catch this movie at the Austin Film Festival--and I can't recommend it enough. It's funny, touching, tender--with a great central story and really amazing cameos including Bradley Cooper, William Shatner and even Lane from Mad Men!

Brian Klugman--who wrote and directed the movie--plays the lead and he's both really funny and heartbreaking as writer who falls in love with Sonny, a painter played by Adrianne Palicki-- (who I've been obsessed with since Friday Night Lights). Can't say enough about their great but realistic chemistry and we follow the twists and turns of their relationship.

I also really loved how Sydney's short stories come alive and make some really great points about life and love.

Don't want to say much more or spoil anything else so I'll just say catch this one when you can-- you won't be sorry!