Steven Soderbergh adopts a set of ground rules similar to those of Dogma 95 (digital video, natural light, self-costumed actors) for this intriguing insiders’ comedy, a film-within-a-film about a day in the lives of seven people in LA. A legendary film producer (David Duchovny) celebrates his 40th birthday at a party that brings together a writer from Los Angeles magazine (David Hyde Pierce), a TV actor who’s landed a breakthrough film role as Brad Pitt’s sidekick (Blair Underwood), and a glamorous actress who costars in the same film as a reporter for Los Angeles magazine (Julia Roberts). Catherine Keener is wonderfully weird as a vicious vice president of human relations, and Nicky Katt is brilliant as an actor playing Hitler in a stage play. Despite the film’s radical trappings, Soderbergh wraps up with a happy romantic ending for several couples. Coleman Hough wrote the script; with Mary McCormack. 101 min.