Written by Gregory Jacobs and directed by Oscar winning director, Steven Soderberg(Traffic), "Full Frontal" is one of Miramax Productions latest products.

The story of "Full Frontal" the long awaited sequel to Soderbergh's "Sex, Lies and Video Tape" begins on an airplane traveling to Los Angeles from New York City. Inside we find a magazine reporter, Catherine(Julia Roberts) interviewing an actor, Nicholas(Blair Underwood). The audience soon learns that the two people are actually characters in a movie played by actors, Francesca(Roberts) and Calvin(Underwood). As the film progresses, Catherine and Nicholas become closer and eventually fall in love. Then as the director yells "Cut!", the audience learns that Francesca and Calvin belong to a larger story which is the main story of "Full Frontal."

The main story of "Full Frontal" revolves around a group of people preparing for the approaching 40th birthday of their friend and producer, Gus.

As the sun rises on this new day we find the married couple of Carl(David Hyde Pierce) and Lee(Catherine Keener) stirring from their night's sleep. Lee is unhappy with her life with Carl and writes him a note stating she wants to leave him and, quite civilly, tells him they will discuss it after they get home from work. Before leaving, she reminds Carl to bake some brownies laced with hashish for Gus' birthday party.

Later that day, Lee feels a sexual need and meets her lover, Calvin, in a hotel room. After having passionate sex, the two quarrel and end their relationship. Lee is very upset about this, but then returns to work interviewing actors for prospective roles by having them recite the total number of countries in the world while throwing a plastic blowup globe back and forth.

While at work, Lee's sister, Linda(Mary McCormack), calls to have lunch so Linda can give Lee a premature birthday present because she will be out of town the next day flying to Tucson, Arizona to meet a Internet friend who wants a deeper relationship. Linda confesses that she lied about her age and that her contact is much younger than she. The audience soon learns that her Internet friend is actually a smalltime playwrite/director called Ed(Enrico Colantoni), who has told her his name is Arty. He also has lied about his age. After lunch Linda returns to work as a masseuse. She is called to the suite of a man, who identifies himself as Bill(David Duchovny), who wishes a massage. During the massage, Bill is sexually aroused and asks Linda, "What is your philosophy about release?". Linda is taken aback by this suggestion, but then reluctantly agrees when Bill offers her $500.00 for 30 seconds of "work." Afterwards, Linda goes to the bathroom to freshen up and discovers that Bill is actually Gus, Lee's producer friend.

Meanwhile, Carl is fired from his job, returns home depressed and finds his dog ill from eating the brownies he left on the counter. He calls the family veterinarian who sends one of his assistants to help. After finding out the dog will be okay, the assistant, Lucy(Erika Alexander) and Carl develop a friendly relationship and decide to finish off the brownies. While eating the brownies, Carl begins to unburden himself to Lucy about his marital troubles.

Using the $500.00 that she received from Bill/Gus, Linda buys a nice dress to wear to the party. She meets Lee in the hotel lobby and the two go up together. There is already a large group of people mingling and waiting for Gus' appearance. With alcohol flowing freely, Lee begins to drink heavily eventually confronting Calvin, globe in hand, in front of his girlfriend. Linda takes her sister away from the crowd and tries to help her sober up. After a few minutes, Linda excuses herself and heads for Gus' suite so that she can return a present he had given her for her "assistance." She finds Gus naked in bed with a plastic bag over his face dead.

She calls Lee to the suite who breaks down when she sees her friend dead. In the concluding scenes the audience finds Linda going to the airport and meeting her anonymous e-pal who is also going to Tucson. They hit it off immediately, not knowing who the other is. They decide to spend their weekend together rather than with their prospective dates.

Calvin and Francesca return to filming their movie. Calvin appears unchanged by Gus' death, but the lonely Francesca is hopeful about a man she met at Gus' party.

Finally, Lee arrives home to find Carl unburdening himself to Lucy. She listens quietly as Carl tells Lucy of his love for Lee and his hopes they will find a solution to their marital problems. As Lee hears this she begins to cry, realizing what she could have lost, if she left Carl. Lucy and Carl hear her. Lucy makes a quick exit as Lee tells Carl of Gus' death and begs Carl never to leave her.

This film, "Full Frontal," is probably one of the worse films this viewer has had the misfortune to see. The story, what there was of it, was a convoluted soap opera of Hollywood angst.

The visuals and editing were difficult to follow as Soderbergh switched from one type of camera to another. The editing confused the story, so that several in the audience that this viewer was with stared blankly at the screen, not sure where one story ended and another began.

Although, this viewer found this film seriously wanting, there were bright spots. The brightest spot came in the person of David Hyde Pierce who developed the character of Carl from a character that appeared pathetic, to sympathetic and finally winning the audience support as he finally became empowered over his life.

Mary McCormack brought her own character, Linda to life as a likable woman searching for happiness and eventually finding it in the least likeliest place. She treated all she met with kindness, even the producer, Gus, who was spoiled and felt he could buy anything with enough money. Gus is revealed later as a pathetic and lonely man.

It is strange to this viewer that in the two scenes that he was in, less than five minutes, Duchovny evoked more emotion from the audience that this viewer was with, than Roberts and Underwood, whose performances were wooden and flat, combined. Keener's performance kept the character Lee on an emotional rollercoaster tottering on the brink of hysteria throughout the movie.

The audience was left with two questions concerning Gus' death. Did Gus accidentally commit suicide while trying to get sexual satisfaction through a failed attempt at auto-erotic asphyxiation or was he depressed about his 40th birthday and committed suicide so as not to face the future?

This viewer doesn't like to say this about any film, but the best advice to the prospective viewing audience this viewer can give was displayed by three viewers in the same audience. They got up and left halfway through the movie and didn't return.