Dir. Jane Weinstock. US. 2003. 95mins.

Despite a premiere at Toronto last autumn, followed by a competition slot at Sundance this month, Easy would do best to stay aware from the glare of film festivals. Given the right treatment, this romantic romp might land some deals, especially in secondary markets. But under the media spotlight it risks having its shortcomings blown out of proportion, doing the kind of damage it may be hard to repair later on.

Jamie (Marguerite Moreau) is a young woman making a living out of inventing names for products, leaving her with a lot of time on her hands and enough to brood about her urgent need for a stable, solid relationship. She discusses the reasons which have prevented this from happening with friends and family, only to hear them all say that she might be too available, sexually, for eventual partners.

When a former teacher of hers, John (Naveen Andrews) comes into town to sign his new collection of poems at the local bookstore, she is attracted; when she finds out his long-term affair is over, she is excited; when he shows distinct interest in her, she takes him home and before he can make a dignified retreat, they are in bed together. But then his ex returns to patch things up, John thinks he should give the old relationship anther chance, and Jamie finds herself celibate once again.

She now vows to be celibate for three months but, long before the term is over, she falls for a new candidate, Mick (Brian F. O'Byrne), who is only too willing to console her. And there she goes to bed again, all a-flush with excitement and persuaded this is the right one. Before the affair is settled, there are enough rebounds to fit perfectly in any afternoon soap opera show.

A lightweight stroll through the prevalent sexual mores of American twenty-somethings, covering all the various races (whites, blacks, Asians) and persuasions (heterosexual and homosexual), the entire proceedings take place in a vacuous environment where people do preciously little besides worrying about their sex.

Weinstock shoots the film largely in close-ups, as if already thinking about the picture's TV career, on a shoestring budget that evidently limited the set options to a minimum. The cast are presentable enough, with none of any special distinction.

Prod co: Over Easy Productions
Int'l sales: Jeff Dowd & Associates (1) 310 572 1500
Executive producer: James Welling
Producer: Gloria Norris
Scr: Weinstock
Cinematography: Paul Ryan
Editor: Robert Hoffman, Lauren Zuckerman
Production des: Aradhana Seth
Music: Grant-Lee Philips
Main cast: Marguerite Moreau, Brian F. O'Byrne, Neveen Andrews, Emily Deschanel, D.B.Woodside, John Rothman