The Real Blonde

After a foray into the surreal with Box of Moonlight, indie auteur Tom DiCillo returns to the comic framework that made his Living in Oblivion such a signature success. Set against the plastic backdrop of New York's show-biz scene, The Real Blonde follows the travails of two struggling actors: Bob (Maxwell Caulfield), the smug, swinging stud, with a hunky part on a daytime soap, and Joe (Matthew Modine), a "serious" actor wrestling with the complacency of a long-term relationship, who proves to be less employable than Dustin Hoffman's loquacious lunk in Tootsie.

On the surface The Real Blonde isn't particularly alluring: neither lead is all that interesting or likable, the plot lacks cohesion, and the title, referring to the pigmentation of female pubic hair, flirts with political incorrectness. What keeps the film enjoyable is DiCillo's slick, slack wit, some uproarious vignettes, and an array of well-developed supporting characters. Most notable is frequent DiCillo collaborator Catherine Keener, who provides soul and drive as Joe's frustrated girlfriend, searching for fulfillment and her place in life. Also shining in the ensemble cast: the fawn-like Bridgette Wilson as the love-sick supermodel, who can't hold Bob's attention because of her dye job; Daryl Hannah as Bob's co-star, who has authentically blonde follicles; Elizabeth Berkley showing surprising range as a Madonna body double; and Marlo Thomas, electric in the role of a domineering fashion photographer. At the Harvard Square and in the suburbs.

-- Tom Meek