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'A Lot Like Love': Less fluff, more funk than expected

A romantic comedy starring Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet, "A Lot Like Love" is one of those uncommon Hollywood movies that turns out to be better than expected.

Touchstsone Pictures 'A Lot Like Love' B- The verdict: A lot like "When Harry Met Sally," but with attitude. Director: Nigel Cole Starring: Amanda Peet, Ashton Kutcher Run time: 107 minutes Release date: April 22, 2005 Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate "A Lot Like Love"   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

With less fluff and more funk than is usual for the genre, Kutcher and Peet make surprisingly appealing foils for each other. And as they both go beyond their usual goofball personas to delve into a bit of drama, they develop something approaching chemistry. Best known lately as Demi Moore's boy toy, Kutcher appears quietly self-possessed. And stepping up to a leading role, Peet exudes sexy charm and vulnerability.

Unfortunately, despite flashes of clever dialogue and some snappy direction by Nigel Cole ("Calendar Girls," "Saving Grace"), Kutcher and Peet's good work is ultimately done in by a been-there story that borrows a little too much from "When Harry Met Sally" — or is it "Four Weddings and a Funeral"?

"A Lot Like Love," opens "seven years ago" when scruffy preppie Oliver (Kutcher) spies punk chick Emily (Peet) in the Los Angeles airport. Turns out they're on the same plane to New York, and during the flight Emily pushes her way into the lavatory and inducts Oliver into the mile-high club.

In keeping with her desperate-living image, she wants to leave it at that — petulantly warning him not to ruin "our little secret," as he peruses her like a sad-eyed puppy dog, first at baggage claim and then on the subway.

But after they run into each other again in Manhattan, fate takes over for another day. And before they part, Oliver gives Emily his parents' phone number and they make a bet that will only be settled when she calls him in three years.

From there, "A Lot Like Love" goes back to the future, as Oliver and Emily move to different cities and on to various attempts at relationships and careers. Unlucky in love and not so successful in life, somehow Oliver and Emily continue to find each other, sometimes as friends, sometimes as lovers.

Given its occasional edginess and several less than cliched plot turns, you might hope that "A Lot Like Love" would resolve itself in an ending something like "The Graduate." Don't hope for too much. Even though it is better than expected, it's not in that league.