On the face of it (and everywhere else), Kim Basinger would seem to have everything: looks, talent, sex appeal and even singing ability, as she proves here.

But most of it doesn't come across in this one.

And the problems of Kim and the equally charmless Alec Baldwin just don't seem to amount to a hill of beans, when they should be carrying us through two hours or more of on-off love-hate-love.

Neil Simon has fashioned a very corny over-the-years romance which starts in 1948 when playboy Baldwin, about to marry a film magnate's daughter, becomes a heap of quivering lust at one sighting of sultry songbird Basinger, who just happens to be the mistress of gangster Bugsy Siegel.

Strangely, this situation doesn't qualify the duo for concrete overcoats, but instead triggers a plot in which Baldwin marries Basinger four times over.

If only he'd left it at one!

Among several anachronisms in its script, the film uses the word 'bimbo' a lot, which we can't believe was around 40 years ago.

This plot, however, was - and it looks its age.

The excellent cast gives it what style it can.