Chassé-croisé

"What are you, Camus?"

Such an Allenesque line, and when you spot Woody's ex-wife Louise Lasser in a supporting role, and a kooky French female character messing our hero Sam (Matthew Broderick) about...well, the movie rings a few NYC bells.

An interesting premise, in both senses of the spelling. Three people, who don't know each other, all in personal life predicaments, have alternate days renting an apartment. One is a lovelorn cheesemonger (really), another is a dissatisfied dental hygienist (again, that's very Woody), and the third is an oafish city boy on the cusp of marriage, unwilling to give up his bachelor lifestyle altogether. Two of them start leaving cute messages and stuff for one another, but mistaken identity leads to a confused situation.

New York plays its own part in these movies. New York movies are practically a genre unto themselves. This is a cute but slight movie, and its peculiar premise gives it distinction in the rom-com field. One just wishes it were funnier, and maybe one more character with a stronger screen presence. The fact that the three alternating tenants never run into one another, at least before the denouement, seems improbable.

But definitely worth checking out.

Sam (Matthew Broderick) works in a gourmet food shop in New York City. Of course, he really wants to be a chef, but this job will do for now. However, the pay is not great, making it necessary for him to live with a small pack of roommates. He is also still pining for an eccentric wannabe-actress named Pastel (Jeanne Tripplehorn). One day, he spies a slice of salvation in the newspaper. There is a nice apartment for rent in Manhattan, but only for a couple of nights a week. That's fine with Sam, for the price is right and he can have peace, quiet, and the occasional date with a lady. Ellen (Annabella Sciorra) also sees the ad and is desperate for some time away from her inconsiderate husband. She signs up for two of the days, with plans to pursue her interest in painting. The third tenant is the owner. Brian (Kevin Anderson), an Ivy league stockbroker/sleazebag who wants a place to hang out with his male buds, away from his own domineering fiancé (Justine Bateman). Soon, Sam builds a nice plant holder for Ellen and leaves her some great leftovers. However, through a mixed communication, she believes it is Brian who has done these acts, and she contemplates making a pass at him, despite her marital status. Will the lives of these three people remain separate or will circumstances allow them to meet, even though they are never at the apartment on the same days? This is a nice film with a clever story and script. Only in the Big Apple, I suppose, would you find folks willing to rent a place for only two nights a week. The cast is terrific, with Broderick, especially, giving a very funny and touching performance. As for the costumes, sets and production values, they are great, resulting in a movie that looks mighty nice. If you are a romantic comedy fan, you can't miss this one! It's fresh plot elements and well-drawn characters make it a welcome find in the world of light-hearted love stories. Yet, even if you are not a regular romcom viewer, the film still has some funny situations and universal themes that make it a diverting watch for most anyone.

"The Night We Never Met" tells of three people, all in relationships, who timeshare a NYC flat with a weekly rotation. The trio has not met but do get to know each other by leaving notes, phone calls, and the inevitable traces of their occupancy which, of course, leads to romance between principals Sciorra and Broderick. A cute little bit of B- fluff which is well cast with a clever premise, "Night..." muddles a little in the middle, runs a tad long, and could have ended better. Nonetheless, it's worth a look. Now on cable.

Mildly entertaining comedy about a threesome timesharing a New York City apartment, but never meet. Broderick is the standout as a fed-up cheese clerk at an upscale grocery store.

While the film itself is barely worth a watch on cable, I thought it was interesting that the movie had no less than three (3!) future Sopranos cast members in roles varying from starring (Anabella Sciorra) to supporting (Dominic Chianese) to walk on (Michael Imperioli). David Chase definitely saw potential in all of these actors, so it's sad to see that the movie really wasted Sciorra's talents...

Three New Yorkers decide to share a Greenwich Village apartment, rotating use of the place for different purposes, on different days. First up is bearded gourmet cheese clerk Matthew Broderick (as Sam Lester); he wants a quiet place to cook romantic dinners for dates, and hopefully have sex. Next tenant is bored painter Annabella Sciorra (as Ellen); she wants a place to paint, and also considers an extramarital affair. Third is well-coiffed sports fan Kevin Anderson (as Brian McVeigh); he wants a place to drink beer and watch ballgames with the guys, without fiancée Justine Bateman (as Janet Beehan) around. The three mix-up their days and Ms. Sciorra accidentally targets Mr. Anderson as a sex partner when she really wants Mr. Broderick. Oops...

***** The Night We Never Met (4/30/93) Warren Leight ~ Matthew Broderick, Annabella Sciorra, Kevin Anderson, Justine Bateman