A meandering, thoughtless movie about empty-headed guys that masquerades as a hip, trendy film about cool guys, ...AT FIRST SIGHT is perhaps the ultimate generic "guy-talk" feature.
Lenny Kaminsky (Jonathan Silverman), a young Long Island professional, encounters gamine Rhonda Glick (Allison Smith) at a planetarium and is smitten. "I think this girl is it," he confides to best pal Joey Fortone (Dan Cortese), a cocky East Coast Casanova who advises Lenny how to proceed.
Throughout Rhonda-oriented escapades, Lenny senses that Joey's womanizing--with a succession of beauties all named Cindy --hides a secret heartache, but Lenny's attempt to match Joey with the Cindy of his dreams ends in disaster. Meanwhile, Rhonda proves to be neither as perceptive nor as deep as
Lenny first fancied. That she doesn't dig Paul Simon concerts clinches the matter, and Lenny lets her drift away. Sadder and wiser, though not by much, Lenny and Joey start over with another pair of pretty girls.
Without much happening, the vacant plot desperately complicates itself with trivia like Lenny faking illness to avoid work, or Rhonda murmuring a stranger's name in her sleep--which turns out to be her dog.
Silverman and Cortese put a bit of life into their byplay, and the gag-filled closing credits suggest a good time was had by all behind the scenes. If only that same easy bonhomie trickled down to the viewer. The classic "guy-talk" picture is Barry Levinson's DINER, and the idea found broadcast
success in the TV sitcom "Seinfeld"--which was copied by Silverman's own prime-time vehicle, "The Single Guy."
Given the temptation for tyro filmmakers to launch their careers in formulaic exploitation cheapies, it seems ungenerous to slam young auteurs like Steven Pearl who bravely venture into freeform. But really, there just isn't much going on here. (Adult situations, sexual situations, profanity)
