TWO GIRLS AND A GUY (1998) *** ½

This was the first comeback role for Robert Downey Jr. after his much-publicized stint in rehab.  It was rated NC-17 even though the one sex scene we do get isn’t overly explicit.  Written and directed by James Toback (who also directed Downey in The Pick-Up Artist and Black and White), it definitely has that air of relationship based indie movies from the late ‘90s that featured characters talking about sex for a good chunk of the running time.  As far as that subgenre goes, it’s one of the better ones out there. 

The hook is as simple as it is irresistible.  Two beautiful women (Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner) are standing on a stoop in New York City waiting for their boyfriend (Downey Jr.) to come home.  They quickly realize they’re waiting on the same guy and decide to get a little payback.  The women break into his apartment and set up an ambush and try to get to the bottom of his selfish and manipulative ways. 

This could’ve been a sitcom, but the frankness of how the messy relationship details come out makes it work as a drama, even if parts of it are very funny.  I especially liked the scene when the girls compare notes and become more enraged at the fact that not only is Downey seeing both women at the same time, but he used the same exact pick-up lines on them. 

All three leads are great, but Downey is a real standout.  I loved the little moment when he came home and didn’t know the girls are hiding in his loft.  It’s here where you can see how a guy like this acts when he thinks he’s alone.  That is to say, he just acts goofy and sings to the top of his lungs.  Wagner (who was an It Girl for a hot minute) is a lot of fun as her manic pixie energy is equal parts adorable and sexy.  Graham is immensely appealing as well, playing the more reserved girlfriend who has a few secrets of her own. 

The limited cast and location work give the movie the feeling of a filmed play.  Sometimes, the long monologues feel kind of stagey, which is probably the only real drawback.  Fortunately, most of the dialogue has a ring of (painful) truth to it, so it’s mostly forgivable.  If you only know RDJ from his latter-day Marvel blockbusters, you owe it to yourself to check it out.