Unapologetically brash in dialogue and texture, "Goodnight, Joseph Parker" is the classic love story brought to a no-pleasantries bar room. Girl loves Man who loves woman, woman isn't worth his time. Into that mix throw in a hopeless drunk with a good heart and weak stomach, a bartender who's more desperate than his customers and Steven Tyler as a shameless bad boy looking for a good time and fast woman.

The acting is quite powerful, gritty, believable. The direction is crisp and hard hitting, raw. However an evening with this film is a bleak one. It's a study on desperation and unrequited love that does itself no favors by tending to a soft ending.

The entire drama takes place in one location -- a bar. The film has a stage play feel, and that might be the result of this. The talent and creative forces in this film obviously have a lot of skill in their craft, I look forward to another film from them, one that has depth and more quenching poignancy. And though I'm obviously biased, perhaps one that has an inspiring element.

Interesting bits from the production notes: This is Dennis Brook's thesis play at UCLA about his failed relationship -- writing it was an attempt to purge that sad period. While casting one of the parts, however, Dennis found himself engaged in negotiations with the very woman he had written the play about: his ex-girlfriend. Unbeknownst to him she had since moved to Hollywood and was working as a talent agent at one of the largest firms in the country.