Love the Hard Way is for anyone who swooned at the sight of Adrien Brody locking lips with Halle Berry at this years Oscars and wants to see more of the young actor. Here youll see a lot more of Brody and his photogenic co-star, Charlotte Ayanna (best known for taking it all off in Dancing at the Blue Iguana). The movie has three sex scenes, and if director Peter Sehr shows his shortcomings elsewhere, he at least displays promise should he ever desire to crank out some late-night fare for the Showtime network.

This film, made more than two years ago, really is a mess and it would be going straight to video had Brody not taken home the Oscar in March for "The Pianist." My guess is that Brody wishes it had gone quietly into the night, although his presence alone gives the movie a credibility that it doesnt really earn elsewhere. Even when the story moves from the sublime to the ridiculous, Brody is there to anchor it through the sheer strength of his conviction.

Brody plays Jack, a New York City grifter who struts around wearing a snakeskin jacket and cocksure attitude that masks a sensitive nature underneath. He tells people that books bore him to tears and yet, later, he steals away to a storage facility to write in his journal and read Melville and Ezra Pound.

Jack meets Claire (Ayanna), a Columbia biology major with cute dimples and impossibly blue eyes. Sparks fly. Claire sees Jacks sensitive side and believes she can save him. Jack likes Claires intellect (among other things), but resists letting himself care for another human being. Its a match made in hell, but Claire wont let go without a fight. Shes funny that way. Or as Jacks pal, Charlie (Jon Seda), puts it: Id say youve got one complicated bitch on your hands.

The movies first act has a nice, hard edge, benefiting from the strong chemistry between the leads. But then the story spins out of control and becomes a precocious, florid melodrama that goes on forever. It literally has three different endings, finally settling on the conclusion thats the least credible.

Pam Grier turns up in a brief role as a detective looking to bust Jack and Charlie for shaking down Asian businessmen. For her streetwise detective, its not much of a challenge. A bigger test would be to solve the mushy- headed thinking behind a movie that cant make up its mind if it wants to be urban poetry or a silly soap opera.

Love the Hard Way
Starring: Adrien Brody, Charlotte Ayanna
Playing: Opens Friday exclusively at Madstone in Chandler
Rating: Not rated (strong sexuality, nudity, violence, profanity)
Running time: 1 hour, 44 minutes
Grade: D+