The Sweep of the Second Hand

Drolly humorous and gently paced, The Sweep of the Second Hand, by first-timer Dean Monti, tracks the uneventful life of Malcolm Cicchio, manager of a sleepy foreign film theater. All is not well with Malcolm: he can't sleep at night, yellow jackets are nesting in his apartment and his ex-girlfriend Lena is marrying a doctor. A postpunk dirge singer named Darlene and a hot-line volunteer try to get him back on track, but they may end up hindering more than they help. Sweet, slow and slightly bizarre, this is an intriguing debut.