Dating games

Bridget Fonda had a hard time being single in 1992, what with filming Single White Female and Singles (Pearl, 9.30pm).

At least in tonight's movie she doesn't have to suffer a flatmate who wants to borrow things without asking - like her clothes, her boyfriend and her life.

Singles, the infinitely better film, is about the romantic lives of a group of twentysomething characters sharing an apartment, played out against a colourful Seattle backdrop.

The film is divided into chapters and is more a series of interlocking vignettes than a straightforward narrative, with the characters occasionally talking to the screen to introduce themselves or comment on the action.

It works not because it's going anywhere profound but because it gets so many details and observations right: like discussions about how long to wait after a date before calling someone back or the strategies people use to convince themselves someone fancies them.

Thankfully, director/writer/ producer Cameron Crowe (Say Anything) uses music from some of the more famous Seattle bands instead of a sugary orchestral score, which adds some realism to what is a contemporary film.