"Happy Endings"

It might be too much to expect that a film called "Happy Endings" should start out strong. It doesn't. There are many characters to introduce, and the director resorts to splitting the screen and giving written details about who we're meeting. The result is confusion and some frustration at the too-smart summaries. Hang on, though. The plotlines deepen after seeming simple early on, and the director does a great job weaving everything together. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Lisa Kudrow stand out, as does, I hate to say it, Tom Arnold. The promised ending may not be happy in all cases, but it seems to come too soon after even after two-plus hours. (Ed. note: this was submitted by a guest reviewer. I'm seeing the flick this weekend.) (Image via USAToday.com)