Tom DiCillo's love-go-round stars Matthew Modine and Catherine Keener as an unmarried, New York City couple whose relationship has stalled: should they get married? Have a kid? What's certain is that Modine's character, Joe, is an aspiring actor with no prospects and Keener's character, Mary, is a photographer's assistant with little joy. Joe leads us to Bob (Maxwell Caulfield), a soap opera star on a fetishistic search for a non-bottle blonde. Bob's quest is briefly satisfied by a costar (Daryl Hannah), but it is another lover, a model named Sahara (Bridgette Wilson), for whom he may have repressed feelings beneath his gruff exterior. Sahara, a favorite subject for Mary's shutterbug employer (Marlo Thomas), brings us full circle to Joe's girl again. The net portrait is of a couple of men who burn up a lot of energy diverting true passion toward junk causes (Bob's Freudian hang-up, Joe's knee-jerk politics) and a couple of women who struggle to say what they want. Typical of DiCillo, the film has its own internal distractions and strained credibility: is it necessary, for instance, to have every important male in Mary's life betray her with a come-on? But despite such minor problems, "The Real Blonde" is a rare New York relationship film that is neither twinkly nor cruel. "--Tom Keogh"