**Possible Spoilers** Director Damon Santostefano delivers a mildly amusing, but predictable one-joke comedy with `Three To Tango,' starring Neve Campbell, Matthew Perry and Dylan McDermott. Struggling architects Oscar Novak (Perry) and Peter Steinberg (Oliver Platt) have a shot at a ninety million dollar renovation job, a project to be funded by tycoon businessman Charles Newman (McDermott). Circumstances lead Newman to believe that Oscar in gay, which makes him the perfect choice for another job Newman has in mind. He has a mistress, Amy (Campbell), a free-spirited artist, and the jealous Newman needs someone to keep an eye on her during the opening of an exhibition of her work, since he will be unable to attend. Oscar is reluctant at first (and he doesn't have any idea that Newman thinks he's gay), but it may help them land the renovation job, so he agrees. He has no way of foreseeing, of course, that he will end up falling in love with Amy. And, complicating matters even more, for Oscar, is the fact that Amy has been told that he is gay. How to resolve it all? Oscar needs the job, but he wants to be with the woman he loves; and meanwhile, everybody thinks he's gay. All of which wears thin, and fairly rapidly. The screenplay is neither clever nor imaginative, and Santostefano has done even less with the material at hand, resorting to slapstick for the laughs (and there are a few). Perry brings an engaging presence to the screen, and he does know how to play comedy; his timing is good, and the best scenes in the movie are the ones he shares with Platt. Campbell, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired with her Amy; managing little more than the occasional theatrical smile (squint and show some teeth), she comes across as shallow and pretentious. Amy (as she plays her) simply doesn't warrant the conflict called for by the story. And Dylan McDermott is too good an actor for this one-note role he's been handed here, though he does well enough with what he's been given. The most notable performance is courtesy of Platt, whose character, in fact, is gay, but thought by everyone to be straight; and he plays it for all it's worth. The supporting cast includes Cylk Cozart (Kevin), John C. McGinley (Strauss), Bob Balaban (Decker) and Deborah Rush (Lenore). There's some irony and humor in the premise of `Three To Tango,' especially the twist wherein Oscar eventually has to `come out' as straight, but the finished product is somewhat flat and unsatisfying. The sight gags are good for a few laughs, but, unfortunately, there's just not a whole lot more to it. I rate this one 5/10.
Review of Three to Tango
