Q. How do you confuse a Multiplex Moppet. A. Put Ewan McGregor on the marquee and then have him kiss Douglas Hodge. They're gonna love this in the UGCs but the rest of us can bask in a strangely old-fashioned portmanteau entry with no fancy angles - in fact hardly Any Angles at all to speak of; Long Shot, Medium Shot, Close Shot and ...er.. that's about it. Made for a stick of gum and looking like it was made for at least a pack it offers a sort of clear CCTV footage of an afternoon on Hampstead Heath in which seven couples muse on the nature of love and/or perhaps more accurately, relationships. Whilst it's unlikely that you'd encounter quite so many variants in a single afternoon you would almost certainly come across three or four including the obligatory gay duo, McGregor and Hodge, not so long after they co-starred on stage in Guys and Dolls and now, after a fifteen year relationship addressing the question of adopting a child. Elsewhere Eileen Atkins and Benjamin Whitrow stretch credulity by meeting again after half a century and marriage to other people, Sophie Okenado is dumped, Hugh Bonneville undergoes an uneasy blind date, Catherine Tate and Adrien Lester meet up in the wake of their divorce and so on. It's a gentle, nonthreatening afternoon, well acted, competently written and shot but it may not be enough though I hope it is.

The title was memorable enough, and I did remember one of the big actors in the cast, I didn't remember it was an all-star cast film, and I had no idea what it was about, but I gave it a go. Basically, in north London, a number of couples are enjoying the sunshine and gathered looking for love and sex in various ways on Hampstead Heath. Husband, Jamie (Andrew Lincoln) and wife, Molly (Holly Aird) lie on the grass and talk about football and multiple orgasms. Molly notices Jamie staring at a pretty girl nearby, Sophie (Eglantine Rembauville). He pretends that he was looking at her book, L'Etranger by Albert Camus, and describes the plot, claiming it is a western about a man who eventually becomes sheriff. To embarrass Jamie and expose him as a liar, Molly approaches Sophie to question her about the book as well. Iris (Eileen Atkins) and Eddie (Benjamin Whitrow),an older couple, meet on a park bench, and talk about London's skyline and wonder who the bench sign is dedicated to. They discover that they both come to the same bench on different days of the week and that they are both widowed. In talking about their past, they also discover that, nearly fifty years before, they had met romantically at that spot and that is why they both kept coming back. They are bemused by the irony of meeting again and have mixed feelings. They talk about seeing each other again, but Iris also decides to visit her former husband's grave, now appreciating more their time together. Anna (Sophie Okonedo),a disturbed young woman with extreme mood swings, is crying and arguing with her boyfriend Ludo (Nick Sidi). After Ludo leaves him, she is then approached by a young man, Noel (Tom Hardy). She asks to be left alone, but he sits next to her and appears to meditate. His weird behaviour interests her, and they strike up a conversation, but she becomes annoyed with him making terrible compliments and trying to make her laugh. She suddenly orders him to have sex with her, but subsequently leaves him with his pants around his knees. Gay life-partners Billy (Ewan McGregor) and Brian (Douglas Hodge) are also lying on the grass, discussing other gay men and The Good Life. Billy has trouble giving up casual sex with other men, while Brian wants him to be faithful to him. Billy suddenly mentions his desire to have children by adoption, but Brian doesn't want them yet. Billy promises to give up casual sex when the two adopt children, which convinces Brian to think about it. However, moments later Billy runs off in pursuit of an attractive man he sees passing them. Peter Brian Maxwell (Adrian Lester) and Sara Louise Williams (Catherine Tate) meet on a bench. It is revealed that they are married and have a seven-year-old daughter, Eve (Elle Mckenzie),but they are divorcing each other. However, they have mixed feelings about this because they still care for each other. Louis (Mark Strong) meets Esther (Polly Walker) who is an escort. After discussing his father's funeral, Louis presents Esther with tickets for a holiday to Barbados which she is happy with. They discuss a variety of issues like a traditional couple, it is unclear if she genuinely cares as she is paid for her time with Louis. Gerry (Hugh Bonneville) and Julia (Gina McKee) are on a blind date and sit on a rug for some red wine and cheese. They discuss modern terminology for ethnic minorities that may or may not be racist. They talk about former relationships and children and, as they are both in their early forties, Julia worries that she will no longer be able. They seem to be getting along well until Julia's attention is briefly drawn towards Louis, who passes them. Insulted by this, Gerry decides to leave abruptly. McGregor is alright as a gay man wanting kids, Okonedo is odd as an erratic woman, Hardy is interesting as a cockney Casanova, and Bonneville, Lester, Tate and all the other recognisable stars do fine. It tries its best to funny, but it is often overtaken by the feeling of melancholy, one or two of the tales in amongst the many do keep you interested, the location in the bright sunlight looks nice, and the script is reasonable, it's not a bad comedy-drama. Okay!

Hampstead Heath, that wonderful expanse in London is the setting for this delightful comedy. Directed with style by Ed Blum, the comedy brings some of England's most interesting actors together in a film that is as easy to take like a summer in the park with a nice breeze in the air.

We are taken to meet several people that seem to be enjoying their day, totally unconnected to one another. We meet Iris, a widow, whose reaction to Eddy, the older man that asks her if she would mind sharing her bench, is not exactly a happy one. Yet, they seem to have more in common than one could have suspected. They have met because of they have gone to the park on the wrong day.

Then, there is the young gay couple who are seen in the "Men Only" section of the park, talking about their life together and how one would stop cruising other men if they could agree in adopting a child. That proves to be wishful thinking, because when all it's said and done, the same proponent is seen trailing after a hot number to a secluded area to engage in sex, no doubt. One wonders about how realistic his expectations can be.

One of the best vignettes involves a blind date. The two people one sees seem to hit it off well, although they seem to have different opinions on what they expect from one another. There is also a funny sequence involving a couple that meets to what appear to be a happy reunion for a nice stroll, and suddenly a shock comes when she asks him for money for her fee, which has gone up in price.

All the actors in the film contribute tremendously to the enjoyment of it by acting effortlessly in this comedy that seems to be about nothing, yet it reveals a lot of inner tensions in many of the characters.

Best of all, Ewan McGregor and Douglas Hodge as the gay lovers. Eileen Atkins and Benjamin Whitrow make a perfect old couple. Gina McKee and Hugh Bonneville are effective as the couple on the blind date. Contributions by Adrian Lester, Sophie Onokedo, Polly Aird, and Polly Walker enhance the film.

Ed Blum shows a talent for creating people so different that happen to be one day in Hampstead Heath truly believable.