Photo Courtesy Wild Ocean Films

When in 1995 The Brothers McMullen debuted, Edward Burns came to represent the working man's filmmaker. A decade odd later, the director's sights are of different society, although essentially his story is of the same humorous and romantic tune.

Set in upper class New York, Purple Violets, released in a theatrical skip exclusively to iTunes, follows four 30-somethings--all privileged, all dissatisfied, all Starbucks coffee drinking--as they reconnect. There's main protag disenchanted and blocked writer Patti Petalson (Selma Blair); in and out of love interest, pulp novelist Brian Callahan (Patrick Wilson); recovering alcoholic and lawyer Michael "The Murph" Murphy (Burns); and ever angry and biting teacher Kate Scott (Debra Messing). In minor roles, Donal Logue and Elizabeth Reaser also join the cast as Chazz Coleman, Patti's unfaithful husband, and Brian's erratic and young girlfriend. It's an ensemble combination of solid chemistry although, and quite unintentionally, Burns and Messing, in supporting roles, manage to steal the vast portion of the spotlight.

By chance meeting, when Patti and Kate bump into Brian and Murph, former college boyfriends of the women respectively, traditional romantic comedy movie logic settles in, this first minor meeting foreshadowing the others to come, Patti and Brian bonding again over writing, Murph and Kate reconciling a past betrayal. The parallel stories flow along easily, intimating although never truly delving into heartbreak. Wilson, in particular, is so comfortable in his role, his character so well realized that it's easy to forget he's acting. Messing too lives within Kate so forcefully that she serves as the film's most compelling emotional anchor. Meanwhile, Blair, who's meant to carry that emotional weight, shows a great maturity in her craft, although her somewhat childish and innocent air remains blandly intact. Burns, as always is Burns, which means he's about the most interesting character in the film, whether he should be or not.

At its best Purple Violets makes cogent commentary about middle-aged angst, but ultimately it's hard to sympathize with well-established, psychologically stable urbanites living in multi-million dollar apartments with designer kitchens and good light. Despite the fact that it's universally agreed, as Messing's Kate says, that "being sad sucks," the film isn't ultimately universal or memorable, and while it does further Burns' filmography in a logical way, it's neither a break out or burn out.

For more information on the film visit www.purplevioletsmovie.com.