Despite an air of creepiness, this indie romcom is a refreshingly offbeat take on a well-worn genre. Quirky and touching without resorting to predictable schmaltz, Management also benefits from the unlikely pairing of Aniston and Zahn, who make for an endearingly odd couple.

Working at his parents' motel, Mike (Zahn) leads an aimless and lonely existence. When attractive traveling saleswoman Sue (Aniston) comes to stay, Mike makes a clumsy pass at her which surprisingly pays off.

When Sue leaves for her home in Maryland the next day, hapless Mike books himself a plane ticket and turns up at her office unannounced. Perturbed by his presence she tries to keep him at arms length but ends up being won over by his puppy dog persistence.

As time goes by, however, and their long distance relationship peters out, Sue returns to her ex-boyfriend Jango (Harrelson), a punk rocker turned yogurt tycoon. Refusing to give up on her, Mike moves to her new town and takes a job at a local restaurant as he tries to work out a way to win her back.

With Jango after his blood, and Sue unresponsive to his outlandish romantic gestures, Mike must face up to a life without his true love.

Essentially a stalker, it's fair to say that Mike would have been impossible to root for in the hands of a less capable actor. Fortunately Zahn, who specialises in lovable losers, gives his character a wide-eyed innocence that, for the most part, overrides the fundamental creepiness of the film's concept.

Interestingly, it's Aniston's aloof and emotionally stunted Sue who is easier to dislike, the actress bringing a commendable amount of depth to her cold fish role. To both performers' credit, the idea of these two mismatched souls getting together actually comes to make sense as the story plays out, both characters' strengths being a remedy for each others manifold flaws.

While the latter part of the film sees the story take some tangents that strain believability, Management is an unusually rewarding romcom. Unconventional and at times downright uncomfortable, it nevertheless has more resonance than the average boy meets girl fare.

Chris Prince