It's par for the course for student film-makers to rope in their pals to appear in their productions for the price of a pint.

So you'd expect big things from someone like Hollywood hotshot Soderbergh when he delves into his little black book and puts a call through to Brad and Julia.

Unfortunately, the result is the sort of thing you'd expect from a novice and not the driving force behind the likes of Traffic and Ocean's Eleven.

Just because a slice of Tinseltown's A-list put in an appearance isn't enough to make up for a meandering plot and half-cocked script.

The movie, Soderbergh's first shot on digital video, follows the events leading up to the birthday party of Hollywood producer Gus (Duchovny).

We track the footsteps of a random group of individuals with close or tenuous links to the birthday boy, ranging from a troubled couple to a lonely masseuse.

Keener and Hyde Pierce play the unhappily married pair and their performances have this effort's failings captured in a nutshell.

Both are top-notch players - Keener has enviable range (Being John Malkovich and Out Of Sight) while Hyde Pierce possesses immaculate comic timing.

However, Keener's character - although one of the most detailed - seems artificial and unlikeable.

Meanwhile, Hyde Pierce struggles without a script of the calibre of Frasier in front of him.

There are some good lines: one preening self-obsessive justifies another act of selfishness by explaining, "I'm having a swim in Lake Me."

But more often things fall flat, Nicky Katt's Hitler being a particularly embarrassing example of bad taste being¿ just bad taste.

For those hoping for a sequel to Sex, Lies and Videotape - this isn't it.

Tim Evans