Duets (R, 2001)

DUETS is an ensemble comedy-drama about six characters whose lives intersect thanks to a karaokie competition in Omaha. Ricky Dean (Huey Lewis) is a karaoke hustler who reconnects with his daughter, Liv (Gwyneth Paltrow), during a detour for a friend's funeral. Todd (Paul Giamatti) is a salesman growing increasingly frustrated with the ugliness of both his environment-destroying job and the America of fast food and look-alike hotels he lives in; Reggie (Andre Braugher) is an con who wants to keep Todd from getting too deep into the dark side. And Suzi (Maria Bello) is a waitress who talks cab driver Billy (Scott Speedman) into giving her a ride to the big event.

Although Duets was promoted as a Paltrow vehicle, the Oscar winner has one of the movie's smaller (and least-developed) parts. As a slightly wacky young woman determined to get to know her father, Liv probably looked better on paper than she plays in the finished movie, which was directed by her father, Bruce Paltrow. The conflict between Liv and Ricky is resolved too neatly and unbelievably. Likewise, the relationship between Billy and Suzi, who turns out to be not as confident as she acts, is thinly written.

The best story is Todd's; Giamatti provides Duets' best and funniest moments. Braugher is also very good as Reggie, though his death is an unnecessarily melodramatic conclusion to this mostly lightweight movie. The oddness of the characters and the silliness of some of the karaoke performances will appeal to some teens, but in general this is an adult movie about adult issues.