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Jason Patric and Samantha Morton star in this dark indie romance about two mismatched loners trying to make a connection. Claire (Samantha Morton) is a meek and mild parking meter attendant, who lives a quiet, lonely life with her invalid mother (Teri Garr.) Claire spends her days suffering the slurs and curses of those she tickets, then heads home to her mom, where they glean pleasure from ordering holiday decorations from catalogues. When Claire encounters Jay (Jason Patric), a fellow parking attendant, she is struck by both his overt kindness and his extreme meanness. Jay is obviously an incredibly angry individual, with some rather serious emotional problems. But Claire's mother and friend (Illeana Douglas) encourage her to break out of her shell and pursue a romance, and when Jay begins to take an interest, she happily accepts his advances. They begin a bizarre, precarious courtship, with Claire not quite knowing what to make of Jay's Jekyll and Hyde personality, or his endless stream of verbal abuse. When she suffers a personal tragedy, he surprises her by standing by her side and offering his support. However, he continues to berate and manipulate her throughout the ordeal. Just as the two seem to be forming their own strange bond, there is a revelation that brings the relationship to a head, and forces Claire to make a final choice.
Both Morton and Garr turn in solid performances, and Patric is scarily convincing as the sadistic Jay. While the unapologetic nastiness of his character does elicit some laughs, the film is ultimately a heavy, incredibly moody tale. It is billed as a romantic comedy, but viewer be warned: this is no SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE. True, some might find humor in the moments of sheer absurdity (of which there are many), but it is hard to escape the dark, rather disturbing portrait of extreme loneliness.
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