'Spread' review

Anne Heche and Ashton Kutcher (Credit: Dale Robinette/Anchor Bay)

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Nikki (Ashton Kutcher) is the sort of cocky jerk who thinks he's mastered the art of seduction, doesn't care about any of his meaningless conquests and claims, "I don't want to be arrogant here. I'm an incredibly attractive man." He's also in L.A. without a job, a car, a house or a goal, other than living the good life. So he holes up with his latest object (Anne Heche) while falling for a waitress (Margarita Levieva) that plays the same games Nikki does.

The buzz: On some level it's good to see Kutcher ("What Happens in Vegas") embracing a role that doesn't just ask him to be his own wacky self. At the same time, "Spread" also may allow the actor to play himself 10 years ago, before his marriage to Demi Moore and while his "That '70s Show" celebrity would have allowed him similar freewheeling sexual opportunities.

The verdict: The remarkably detached "Spread" might have been interesting had it been a broader look at the life-ruining power of a massive ego, or a closer examination of how L.A. encourages superficiality. Instead the movie, which benefits from frank sexuality and a rare dose of vulnerability from Kutcher, feels more like the tale of a guy who's just a victim of being a jerk, coping with the horrible curse of being good-looking.

Did you know? Nikki says a woman awards you one point for buying flowers, two points for making dinner and three for giving her an orgasm, with 26 points needed for them to trust you. Place your bets now on how long it takes Kutcher (producer of "Beauty and the Geek" and "True Beauty") to turn this into a reality show.

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