The Object of My Affection

Nina meets George at a dinner party and tells him how sorry she is to hear about his break-up with Robert - which comes as news to George. Despite her boyfriend Vince's misgivings, Nina invites George to move in with her and they become fast friends - so much so that when Nina conceives, she decides she'd rather raise t he kid with her nice gay lodger than with Vince. Hey, what are friends for? On some level, I suppose you might call this a radical film - but then how to account for its many longueurs? Perhaps it's because those confessional talk shows have effectively domesticated polymorphous sexuality, so that we mix-and-match gender roles almost as a matter of course. Hytner's right-on film of Stephen McCauley's novel works out the complications with a degree of intelligence and sensitivity, but it feels laborious and underwhelming. It never persuades you it belongs on the big screen. The central performances are fine - Aniston as Nina, Rudd as George, Pankow as Vince - but a lonely, philosophical Nigel Hawthorne registers most strongly in a supporting role.