She Came to Me

By jamming three disparate if potentially compelling ideas into one, She Came to Me winds up watering down much of its satirical edge and screwball charm.

In this ensemble romantic comedy about the personal and professional entanglements of upscale New Yorkers, there’s a disjointed nature to the whirlwind of strained quirks and forced whimsy — despite some wry laughs along the way — and a talented cast is mostly squandered in the process.

The film generally centers on Steven (Peter Dinklage), a neurotic opera composer enduring a midlife crisis that has spawned a writer’s block. “Ever since I was a little kid, I wasn’t good at anything but music, but now I’m not even good for that,” he laments.

After his exasperated librettist quits, Steven finds an unlikely muse following a chance meeting with Katrina (Marisa Tomei), a tugboat captain who’s also a sex addict.

Of course, that causes an unfortunate ripple effect when word gets back to Patricia (Anne Hathaway), Steven’s wife whose psychiatry practice is threatened by her own spiritual crisis. It turns out she’s rediscovered religion as a coping mechanism.

Meanwhile, Patricia’s teenage son (Evan Ellison) from a previous marriage has been taking racy photos of his younger girlfriend (Harlow Jane), who happens to be the daughter of Patricia’s housekeeper (Joanna Kulig). Could that cause further repercussions?

The screenplay by acclaimed director Rebecca Miller (Maggie’s Plan) features some intriguing dynamics and witty exchanges, some darker than others, but keeps jumping all over the place without sufficient tonal consistency or narrative connectivity for its batch of amusing characters.

Dinklage conveys a winning mix of insecurities and vulnerabilities in his character’s exploration of creative process and artistic inspiration, yet struggles to provide an emotional anchor amid the chaos around him.

In general, the performers are able to elevate the material, bringing depth and complexity to flawed characters and lost souls seeking various degrees of redemption or acceptance. Perhaps a flow chart would help with tracking all of the fragile relationships and blended families.

However, She Came to Me confuses eccentric with sympathetic, and a more cohesive emotional resonance remains elusive. At least there’s a new Bruce Springsteen number during the closing credits, for those who get that far.

Rated R, 102 minutes.