First of all, this movie seems to be billed as some kind of romantic comedy starring Alexis Bledel. It isn't. Rather, it is a character study focusing on narrator / protagonist Tommy (Scott Porter), a charismatic but manipulative Wall Street trader. Secondary focus is placed on his girlfriend Beth (Bledel) and his awkward protege Daniel (Bryan Greenberg) as they try to figure out their place in this Type-A dominated world. The goal is not necessarily to like any of the three characters, just to understand them.

The plot itself is pretty simple but the writer/director compensated by making every attempt to come across as believable and authentic as possible. Usually this hits the mark, but not always. Most of the locations such as offices, apartments, and bars are spot-on and I found most of the dialog and interplay quite believable. On the flip side, while I believe that Alexis Bledel could live in NYC for a while and never have heard of The Cloisters, I find it unfathomable that Beth, an anthropologist, would not. This is a pretty big oversight considering how important a role the excursion to The Cloisters has in establishing Tommy's ability to sweep Beth of her feet. Along these lines, I think the writing went a little too far with the foreshadowing. For example, comparing a book club book to the story itself smacks of trying too hard to be clever.

This leaves the acting. I thought the casting and performances were excellent, with all of the characters fitting the bill perfectly, no matter how minor. This is what I appreciated most about the film - the glimpse into these people's lives provided by the portrayals. They were serious when they mean to be serious, funny when it is meant to be funny, and it all felt genuine. There isn't enough to it to consider a 5* rating, but I believe it is successful in achieving what it sets out to do.