Neither the script's up-to-the-minute signifiers nor its cheekily self-aware humor can entirely dispel a formulaic feel.

The intelligence and unhackneyed humor of the believable, unself-conscious screenplay by fledgling director Mr. Zwick (son of veteran director Edward Zwick) deserves special praise. It never hits a false note.

I was pleasantly surprised by much of "About Alex," a film that features a stronger-than-average ensemble for this subgenre even if it too often succumbs to predictable, traditional turns of Screenwriting 101.

As good as the performances are, by the end of the film the story descends into melodrama which underscores the overall unoriginality of the script.