"I Love You Too" is an agreeable enough comedy that badly outstays its welcome towards the end, which is a shame, because it has some funny moments.

Brendan Cowell plays the typical commitment phobic immature bed hopper who has found the one he wants to be with, but gets ditched because he doesn't know how to tell her how he feels. He meets Peter Dinklage, a SNAG who offers to help him. There's also Peter Helliar, playing who else but the sidekick to Cowell's first incarnation.

There are also cameo roles by Rose Byrne, Hamish Blake, Angus Sampson and Kim Gyngell.

How many times have we seen this plot? It's kept buoyant at first because funny moments and the charm of the actors makes it feel fresh, but of course it can only end one way, and once you realise what you're in for, the movie is on autopilot and you aren't paying attention.

There are also aspects that don't fit a silly romantic comedy, eg. Cowell's character having lost his parents. The movie doesn't go for any touching moments, nor depths to its characterisations, so why bother with that?

A question that will plague you for the rest of your (pardon the obvious here) life is: What is life all about? We seek out the answers in books, in academic theses, in movies, and yes, in life itself. As we walked out from the theatres after watching the preview of this movie, we were somewhat convinced that the past 109 minutes have presented us with a rather poignant portrayal of life.

Surprise, surprise - the movie wasn't manufactured from the Hollywood's ingenious machines and computers. This time round, it's the kind mates from Down Under who have managed to make a film that is emotionally engaging, as well as enjoyably entertaining.

Our protagonist is 30 plus year old Jim, who is unable to commit to Alice, his girlfriend of three years. Like every other girl, Alice wishes that her boyfriend would say the three magical words – you know which ones, don't you? One situation leads to another, and Alice considers leaving to take up a job in England. Elsewhere, Jim meets the vertically challenged Charlie who gives him a new insight into what love really means. In this somewhere there's also Jim's best friend Blake, his pregnant sister Marie and her rough edged husband Owen.

We acknowledge the fact that the synopsis doesn't really sound exciting, but think about it – how exciting is life itself for most of us? What triumphs for this movie is its nice blend of comedy and affecting drama. We hate to say this, but if this screenplay was taken up by a money raking Hollywood studio, or for that matter, a local TV production house, things would have turned out to be a dreary drab of a mess.

Maybe you can call it first time lucky, because here we have first time writer Peter Helliar penning the screenplay. It is also the directorial film debut of Daina Reid. They may not be familiar names with us in this part of the world, but trust us, there is really a lot of heart in this one.

While watching this well written movie, you'd be reflecting on the various aspects of life – love, friendship, kinship and the little episodes which play themselves out amidst these larger grand themes. Helliar have managed to capture the little moments in life which define the greater moments – from the quibbles in a restaurant, the wild parties in a club, to the efforts taken by a friend to cheer his pal up, and a simple desire to connect with someone through writing letters. These setups are written with a fresh touch of humour, which remind of life itseld. Reid has also done a decent job of directing her cast in the various situations, never at once making them caricatures which we are so used in Hollywood movies and TV productions.

The cast delivers fine performances here. Brendan Cowell plays Jim, a familiar man in his 30s who is emotionally diminutive. – not just because he works at a miniature railway. The Australian actor exudes an underachiever charm that is both charismatic and empathizing. Helliar takes on the role of Jim's best friend Blake, who may seem rough and tough on the surface, but has one of the best lines in the movie when he tells Jim what he really feels about their friendship. Yvonne Strahovski plays Alice, the girlfriend who has to make a really important decision about her own life. The sweet looking actress puts her appealing looks to good use here. Fellow Australian actors Birdie Carter and Travis McMahon also display their acting chops in the roles of the wife and husband who are experiencing some bumpy times while expecting their first child.

Watch out also for Peter Dinklage's unforgettable performance as Charlie, the American who changes Jim's life. The actor has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, which naturally makes him different from the rest. But that doesn't stop us from commending his moving performance – it's one of the best we have seen this year.

You end up feeling and caring for all the characters in the movie, and that's because you are living life.

I Love You Too is a labored and uneven romantic comedy that struggles to find big laughs. The film was written by local comic Peter Helliar, who conceived the idea some seven years ago and has been developing it ever since. The film looks at a number of relationships and explores the often rocky road to romance. The central character is Jim (Brendan Cowell),an emotionally stunted thirty-year-old man who works at a miniature railway and refuses to grow up. He lives in a bungalow at the back of his family home. He is also unable to make a commitment to Alice (Yvonne Strahovski),his girl friend of the past three years. Disappointed that Jim is unable to articulate his feelings, Alice tries to reassess their relationship. She even considers a job offer that will take her home to England, hoping to force Jim into action. After a drunken night on the town, Jim attempts to steal a car, with disastrous results. But that is how he meets the diminutive Charlie (Peter Dinklage),and an unusual friendship develops. A recent widower still mourning his wife, Charlie himself is obsessed with Francesca (Megan Gale),the supermodel who is the very epitome of the unobtainable object of desire. Jim agrees to help Charlie get in touch with Francesca if he will teach Jim the right words to say to Alice to win her back. Another major subplot concerns the relationship between Jim's pregnant sister Marie (Bridie Carter) and her beer swilling, oafish husband Owen (Travis McMahon). Helliar's script is too long for what it has to say, and there are several moments of unnecessary padding. There are also a number of moments that fall horribly flat, and scenes that go nowhere. Daina Reid hails from a background in television, having directed episodes of TV series like City Homicide, etc, and her handling of the material here is pedestrian. She seems unable to bring much energy or life into the material. The performances of most of the cast are generally fine, although, ironically, Helliar himself is one of the more annoying elements of the film. Helliar plays Jim's best mate Blake, an obnoxious and boorish bogan. His character is annoying and grating, and doesn't really ring true. His grotesque manners and clumsiness is reminiscent of Jason Siegel's character in the recent bromance I Love You, Man, although he doesn't quite redeem himself in the same way. Dinklage (from Death At A Funeral, etc) is the best thing in it, with his dry, droll wit and self-deprecating humor. Strahovski, who plays a CIA agent in the TV series Chuck, seen on Foxtel, is good as Alice. Cowell seems a little uneasy with his role here, and is uncomfortable in some scenes. Despite some good moments, I Love You Too is another example of an Australian comedy that falls flat, and is let down by the writing.