After Conor McPherson's Saltwater, About Adam sees another Irish playwright move behind the camera - again with mixed results. Set in lively Dublin, Gerard Stembridge's movie debut is a strangely skewed romantic comedy. Vivacious waitress Lucy (Kate Hudson) finally finds true love with Adam (Stuart Townsend), an elusive and handsome young man who sweeps her off her feet. However, after meeting him, the rest of her family also find him a bit too irresistible.
The film tries too hard to be clever: Stembridge is a competent writer, yet his attempt to weave an intricate plot results in irritating inconsistencies. But despite the film's strange nature, Frances O'Connor and a bubbly Hudson provide excellent turns, and a scattering of entertaining moments.
Stembridge should perhaps set his sights lower next time: thanks to his muddled plotting, you're likely to walk out of the cinema knowing very little About Adam.
