In the interesting, if never particularly good, direct-to-video comedy Sink Or Swim, four writers (Richard Kind, Dusty Kay, John Ritter, and Dave Foley) vie for a staff slot on a new TV series created by pill-addled writer/producer Stephen Rea. At a weekly poker game, Rea spots a mysterious happening at a hotel across the way, which each writer then tries to spin into a story, a task that takes them on various adventures in nighttime L.A. and puts Rea in the arms of a mysterious woman (Illeana Douglas) who's not what she appears to be. For his first feature film, writer-director Gary Rosen has created an interesting premise and assembled an even more interesting cast: Ricky Jay, Jason Priestley, Ryan O'Neal, Tom Arnold, Lisa Kudrow, and Bob Odenkirk of HBO's brilliant Mr. Show all have supporting parts. But Rosen doesn't seem to know where to take it. Contrived doesn't begin to describe Sink Or Swim's farce-like manipulations, but both the words "contrived" and "farce" imply that things eventually make sense. Originally titled Hacks, the film has its share of clever moments, and the cast does keep things lively. But while clearly not hackwork itself, Sink Or Swim is pretty disappointing in light of the talent involved.