Angel David, Frederique Van Der Wal, Heather Graham

Substitute "Gals" for "Girls" and you might mistake this for one of those romantic-comedy trifles they cranked out during World War II. Nothing could be further from the truth, though the film does ha...( read more  read more... )ve a lot to say about modern romance, and you'll laugh--while also gasping--frequently as the film unreels over a riveting hour and a half.

Two very different but equally smashing young women find themselves sharing the sidewalk outside a Soho apartment. Both blond Carla (Heather Graham, pre-Boogie Nights) and the dark-haired Lou (Natasha Gregson Wagner, daughter of Natalie Wood) are waiting for the same guy, an actor named Blake (Robert Downey Jr.), who--unbeknownst to either--has been sleeping with both of them for the past year. They break into Blake's pad and trade can-you-beat-that? anecdotes of his duplicity while waiting for him to show. Show he eventually does, and the mind games begin.

All three players are terrific, with Wagner enjoying a slight edge over indie veteran Graham because her character is fiercer and she's a new screen presence. But it's Downey who rules, partly because director James Toback wrote the script in direct response to seeing his old pal (Downey had starred in his 1987 movie The Pick-Up Artist) in a jail-house news feed after his first well-publicized arrest on drug charges. Actually, Downey's most amazing scene--a long soliloquy in front of a mirror--was largely improvised; it's a passage of monumental self-deception, self-revelation, and sheer genius. As exasperating as it is compelling, Two Girls and a Guy is one of the most provocative films of the '90s. --Richard T. Jameson

Flixster Users

43% liked it

6,173 ratings

Critics

52% liked it

56 critics

R, 84 min.

Directed by: James Toback

Release Date: April 24, 1998

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DVD Release Date: June 5, 2001

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Stats: 201 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (201)


  • March 21, 2009
    Pretty much a play or three way conversation captured on film. Downey Jr. is amazing as always. Without him the film may have still been good, but the entertainment factor would have to be turned right down. It seems a fairly honest depiction of infidelity and the "reasoning" beh...( read more)ind it. The girls are fairly good, but have trouble keeping up with Robert's smarts. The single apartment setting echoes real life claustrophobia of such confrontational situations. It's a very good film, with a few unnecessary twists towards the end.
  • October 25, 2007
    Booooooo.
  • May 20, 2007
    This was great when it was NC-17.
  • November 20, 2006
    Boring and pointless. Graham and Wagner aside.
  • April 9, 2006
    After this movie, I became a Downey fan for life. His amazing acting capabilities became so apparent after seeing this film. The movie itself is mediocre, but WOW is he great.
  • November 19, 2009
    best part was him getting busted otherwise very dumb movie
  • July 22, 2009
    Add a review (optional)...
  • July 21, 2009
    I love Robert Downey, Jr. and I really like Heather Graham. I can do without Natasha Gregson Wagner. The movie itself is stupid. Obviously written by a man, as it truly doesn't get a woman's perspective. For shame, James Toback; you could have done better.
  • July 10, 2009
    okay so very intense movie. THe best part is when he fakes his own death!!
  • May 6, 2009
    Was not one of Robs best films ):

Critic Reviews


February 12, 2008
David Edelstein, Slate

You gotta admire a director who can come up with a way to hang out in such luxurious digs for two weeks, acting out sexual situations with three of the dishiest young actors in the business. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Sometimes the story behind a movie can bring an angle to what's on the screen. full review

January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Wagner doesn't wink at the audience to let it know she's not as ignorant and naive as the character she plays. It's a performance that risks being misunderstood, and it probably will be. full review

View more Two Girls and a Guy reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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  • Which Movie Does This Summary Describe: A mob mix-up in Chicago sends two chanteuses screaming for L.A., where they score a perfect gig: posing as drag queens on the dinner theater/cabaret circuit. Things get extra-weird when a guy falls for one of the girls.  Answer »
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