Described by writer/ director Neil Hunsiger as a "human comedy about love", one would expect to find this film at least interspersed with moments of giggles at worst, or hilarity at best.

Neither is present, nor is anything much to do with love. So what's left? A human something? Story, maybe? Maybe...

Set in the seaside town of Maldon, the audience is drawn (or dragged) into the seemingly simple but surprisingly messy lives of three men. We are first introduced to Dan (Nighy) who is dealing with a mid-life crisis and facing the temptations of infidelity.

Nick (an impressive and cute Hollander) - is a young sensitive gay man who's just lost his life partner in a drowning accident; and Tim (Henshall) - returns to real life after eight years of wandering round the world with no apparent purpose.

The three men's stories are all connected to the sudden death of Nick's boyfriend, restaurant owner Stuart, and each one offers a different perspective on the wills and wants of the others.

The only problem is that it seems the man who connects them all - Stuart - is the most interesting. And he's dead. Oh well, if you must make do with who's left, Nick definitely has the most depth, but still his story doesn't grab the interest of an audience who needs something to actually happen in a film to make it work.

Apart from the lack of drama, another shortfall of this film is the fact that it has no beginning, middle and end. The story weaves its way backwards and forwards in time and doesn't quite connect with reality.

The complexities of the structure don't help the story, nor do the characters who are unsubtle and unappealing. The setting is obviously a metaphor for lives that don't change much with the passage of time, and the insufficient background information provided for the characters is actually irrelevant, as we can safely assume they were always as uninteresting as they appear at present.

Sadly, Lawless Heart comes across more as a TV drama which might make for pleasant Friday night viewing, but it certainly doesn't warrant a trip to the cinema. I don't know many people who'd be happy to part with a fiver to see Douglas Hanshall with a permanent hangover and a really bad hairdo.

Natalie Stone