Gwyneth Paltrow - not renowned for her bubbly, laugh-a-minute persona – is unlikely to see her comedic stock rise after her brother Jake’s first movie hits multiplexes.

Don’t be fooled by the presence of Simon Pegg, Danny DeVito and Martin Freeman on the cast list either. Because in terms of both comedy and romance, it’s a pretty miserable experience.

Essentially transferring his character from The Office to New York, Freeman is Gary Sheller, a former Britpop sensation who now writes iffy advertising jingles for his obnoxious former bandmate Paul (Pegg).

Having Freeman and Pegg rock out in silly flashbacks would have raised a few titters (a là Hugh Grant in Music and Lyrics), but instead we have to spend lots of time in Gary’s apartment watching him bicker with his selfish girlfriend Dora (jolly Gwynnie).

Being an apologetic shlub, Gary daren’t leave her. But though his waking life is a nightmare, he finds true contentment in his dreams with a vision called Anna (Cruz).

While seeking advice from part-time dream guru Mel (DeVito), Gary sees ‘Anna’ on the side of a bus. Her living incarnation – Cruz again ¬- is a model. But when he finally meets her, the reality fails to live up to the fantasy.

By shooting the dream sequences in shiny 35mm while casting the real world in grey and grainy 16mm, writer-director Paltrow makes it clear where we are physically. But the humourous and dramatic elements simply don’t gel, and what point he is trying to make – if any – is anyone’s guess.

Unappealing characters don’t help. Pegg does his best to chivvy up proceedings but Paul is still a charmless berk, and Freeman – a usually reliable everyman – cannot make Gary anything other than an abject loser. He actually deserves the dreadful Dora.

Talking heads - including Jarvis Cocker and a rapidly edited-out Michael Gambon as a rival dream expert - elaborate on Gary's life and add to the documentary feel and orchestral bursts of Blur’s 'The Universal' provide the film's rare uplifting moments.

But while a shock at the end shatters the navel-gazing atmosphere, it’s hard to disagree when Dora moans “This whole thing reeks of paralysis.”

Rarely has a combination of romance, comedy and male wish-fulfilment felt so depressing. The Good Night is really not worth staying up for.

Elliott Noble