The Souler Opposite

Cynical older man meets idealistic younger woman in this sturdy and surprisingly good romantic comedy from first-time writer-director Bill Kalmenson. On the day he turned 16, Barry Singer's swinging father bought him a hooker for his birthday, a gift that pretty much set the tone for the adult Barry's (Chris Meloni) attitudes toward women and sex. As a struggling stand-up comedian playing to crowds in various L.A. dives, Barry's patently sexist act focuses on the treachery of women, the soul-crushing pitfalls of relationships and his own hermetically sealed emotions. But after getting himself punched out in a club parking lot (by a woman) after a typically offensiv...