NYC – the Big Apple. Location to many a romantic tale of love in a big city. The reality is of course, that that kind of love can often only be found in films. For his directorial debut, Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman instead tackles the kind of love that can be awkward and quite ugly.

Although the actual amount of time that Jack (Hoffman) has been single for isn't mentioned, it's certainly inferred that it's been a while. So his friend and co-worker Clyde (John Ortiz) and his wife Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega) set him up on a blind date with one of their friends Connie (Amy Ryan).

The date itself goes well; so much so that it looks like there's a chance that a relationship could develop between them. The thing is, Connie is probably just as fragile as Jack when it comes to relationships, so the way forward for them both seems to be a tentative one.

Clyde attempts to help Jack out as best he can, but although he's afraid to admit it, he's struggling with his own set of marital problems. If there's to be a path to true love for either couple, it's not going to be without its obstacles.

You know what? I've already got a feeling in my dreads that this will be the best Come Dine with Me ever!

The task of directing this film would probably have proven to be considerably more difficult if Hoffman hadn't already appeared in the play version, which Ortiz and Rubin-Vega also did alongside him. The fact that he was already familiar with his character was no doubt a great help, but that shouldn't detract from the fact that he's done a swell job in the director's chair.

Perhaps his theatrical background (both acting and directing) has helped in the way that he's allowed his actors breathing space to express their emotions as well as deliver their lines.

The piece itself is beautifully underwritten and acutely observed as it portrays two couples moving in two different directions: one flowing with the tide and one very much battling against it.

Hoffman the actor also delivers a sombre and touching performance, but he's not alone as each one in this ensemble piece hits every emotional note spot on. Ortiz manages to stand out just a little from the rest, as his character runs the gamut of emotions, struggling with them internally and externally throughout.

Jack Goes Boating is the perfect antidote to all those cosy New York City romances that have gone before; its love is coated and hardened in realism, with no room for fluff or sentiment, which only goes to make it all the more attractive.