In the midst of all this sits a cosy residential apartment block, a perfect setting for the emotional crises of on-again, off-again, on-again couples Steve and Linda (Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgwick) and Cliff and Janet (Matt Dillon and Bridget Fonda). Steve is a sensitive transport engineer whose game-playing backfires when he meets Linda, an environmental activist with a fear of rejection. Cliff is a feckless rock musician, and front man for Citizen Dick, whose inability to commit to Janet is forcing her to take desperate measures. Will the couples split? Will they reunite? And will they learn a little something about life, maturity and commitment along the way? As you'd expect from the man behind the cutesy teen classic Say Anything (his directorial debut), Crowe's relationship resolutions are often simplistic and sentimental ("You rock my world!" and "You belong to me!" are two such vocal denouements). And this, combined with a rambling narrative often makes the movie feel longer than its 95 minutes (an inter-title announcing "The Theory of Eternal Dating" sums it up). Nonetheless, there's enough wit, comic digression and tap-along gaiety elsewhere to make Singles an enjoyably slight romantic placebo. --Kevin Maher

Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament from PJ & Chris Cornell have cameo appearances and AIC & Soundgarden are actually seen playing live! Even if you’re not a fan of the story, which is about a group of twenty-something’s relationship issues, you *have* to watch it purely for the soundtrack. Chris Cornell was the musical advisor, so you know it ain’t gonna suck!

If grunge is your thing (it is definitely mine!) get this film a for trip down memory lane that will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling to help you through these long winter evenings for at least a few days…


underrated   May 13, 2004
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

some part of me wants to agree with general opinion that this is a bit of a 'period-piece'. oh, go on then, this IS a bit of a period-piece, but none the worse for that. the irony is that crowe took a peculiar cultural phenomenon in grunge, went to the heart of it all and made the film in Seattle (with some nice coffee shop moments thrown in for good measure) and then made a film about life that could have been set anywhere. i mean, instead of matt dillon's character having long hair, wearing jams and being into rock, give him a mohican, baggy trousers and have him into punk and you have a skateboard movie (not sure why you would, but still...).

the film is about love, life, relationships, the difficulties of being a twentysomething in modern society and making difficult decisions but not really knowing who you are, where you are going or why you happen to be where you are right now. it is that disaffection with life that, i suppose, endeared us all to troubled musicians with long hair and scruffy t-shirts in the first place..?

the idea that our central characters live in a duplex apartment block is key to the film. these are people with temporary lives, temporary relationships, dreams of something better and something bigger and no one to help them get there (to paraphrase michael chabon's wonder boys).

the film isn't out-and-out funny, or romantic or anything particularly mainstream, its downright quirky and unconventional and makes a bold observation on life and living it. campbell scott has only just recovered from the critical slamming he took because of this film, by all accounts, and bridget fonda and matt dillon have remained relatively low key (but probably not unsuccessful) and kyra sedgwick has had a reasonable career (and a marriage to the man of many degrees, kevin bacon). the only person that really flourished here is crowe, who can probably look at almost famous as his most acconmplished piece to date. this has similar charms and perhaps when we are further away from the early 90's this film can be appreciated by a new audience.

im inclined to agree that my so called life did do a better job with representing the grunge era, but then, this is aiming at higher fruits and, i think, comes across as a prelude to better things from its director (but maybe thats just hindsight speaking....?).


over-rated   July 8, 2003
 2 out of 20 found this review helpful

This movie was one of the worst I've ever seen. Just a bunch of cliche' ridden scenarios from an extremly over-rated director in Cameron Crowe. Weak characters, weak writing and fiilmed at a snail's pace. You'd have more fun watching grass grow.