A sad, oddly touching and well-acted slice-of-life story which would be even more effective if you didn't have the feeling that it's meant to be a comedy.

Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito are 'aluminium siding' salesmen, door-to-door hustlers involved in a collision in their new cars which rapidly escalates into a tit-for-tat war of ridiculously ugly proportions.

As the coup de grace, Dreyfuss beds DeVito's wife (Barbara Hershey).

But - you've guessed it - he falls in love with her.

There's nice, lived-in dialogue by director Barry Levinson, with the occasional acidly amusing line cloaking the wretchedness in the lives of these smooth-moving losers.

Hershey is exceptionally good as the wasted wife, Dreyfuss spot-on as the rustproof Romeo. DeVito fits round his oily, four-letter character like a well-worn glove.

These are bad-tempered, sweaty people, but they have the whiff of life. But be warned, though, you may never let a salesman in the house again.

As for laughs, you'll get more from an episode of EastEnders.