It's been over two years since Kathy Bates, Rupert Everett and Richard Briers took up residence in a Herefordshire village for the new blockbuster film.

The village was used as the setting mainly for the funeral scene.

Bates plays middle-aged Chicago housewife Grace Beasley, who is devastated when her emotionally distant husband Max (Aykroyd) announces he is leaving.

Soon after, Grace's black mood deepens when her musical idol, Welsh crooner Victor Fox (Pryce), is slain on the city streets by the so-called The Crossbow Killer.

Plunged into despair, Grace travels to the Valleys to attend the singer's funeral where she discovers that Victor was gay, and his loyal valet Dirk Simpson (Everett) was his long term lover.

United in grief and their love for the departed balladeer, Grace and Dirk venture back to the Windy City to track down Victor's killer.

Unconditional Love is a film with a serious identity crisis. The tone veers wildly from tragedy to comedy, but never once rings true.

Everett replays his "sweetie, darling" role from My Best Friend's Wedding, and comes perilously close to caricature in his portrayal of a grieving gay lover.

Bates has plenty of pluck, and she earns sympathy in the opening sections of the film, but there's scant chemistry with Everett, which is after all the key relationship.

Eaton is a bona fide scene-stealer, but she seems to have been cast merely to set up a Don't Look Now gag in the second hour.

The identity of The Crossbow Killer is obvious to anyone who bothers to read the actors' names in the opening credits. Even then, Hogan signposts the twist well in advance.

He also introduces a number of cameos, such as Barry Manilow cajoling the entire cast into a rousing sing-song of Can't Smile Without You.

Sadly, in the case of Unconditional Love, you'll be hard pressed to smile with it.

:: Swearing :: No sex :: Violence :: Rating 4/10