Robert Downey Jr. gives the performance of his career, and that's the reason I'm marginally recommending Two Girls and a Guy--the new conversation-piece from James Toback. Downey Jr. digs deep and gives resonance to a dysfunctional actor who manages to carry two relationships at the same time. The unsuspecting women are played by Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner. Graham gives a decent performance and Wagner is beautiful and great at being annoying, but the film belongs to Robert Downey Jr.

Toback jams Two Girls and a Guy with discussions that only work part of the time. The dialogue doesn't always feel real. Still, this is much better than the last Toback, Downey Jr. collaboration The Pick-Up Artist.

Two Girls and a Guy is also not as raunchy as one might expect. Toback lost a fight with the MPAA and was forced to re-edit the film. I donÕt understand why. This is pretty tame stuff compared to films like Chasing Amy and Boogie Nights. This is more cerebral story telling, whereas those were more in your face! Two Girls and a Guy isn't a masterpiece, but braveau to Robert Downey Jr. for giving such a passionate, uninhibited performance--in a role that most mainstream actors probably would have shied away from.