Tales of starving artists hinge on viewers' sympathy for the poor protagonist struggling to maintain a sense of dignity while simultaneously coping with cutthroat competition. The Real Blonde tackles these issues of integrity, insecurity, and desperation, centering on the failing relationship between an out-of-work actor and his long-term (and gainfully employed) girlfriend. But writer/director Tom DiCillo's fourth film falters in the sympathy department, as it's hard to root for Matthew Modine's idealistic young actor. His refusal to audition for soap operas is supposed to be noble, his obsession with Death Of A Salesman indicative of his integrity. But Modine's character is whiny and arrogant, and his purported acting talents underwhelming. Why would DiCillo staple Catherine Keener (strong in a film full of weak characters) stick around supporting this loser for six years? Like DiCillo's second and most popular film Living In Oblivion, The Real Blonde does provide a glimpse of some of the behind-the-scenes opportunism that frequently overshadows the pursuit of art. Keener, for instance, works for a modeling agency, the epitome of style over substance; Modine finally gets a job as a "sexy serial killer"; and Living In Oblivion's beleaguered director Steve Buscemi even makes a cameo on the set of a mock Madonna video. All are considered to have "made it" in the business. Unfortunately, this slight, dull film would have benefited from a bit more style, as well as substance, as its lame characters and obvious observations never rise too far above the soap operas DiCillo parodies. Only an extended riff on the mediocrity of Jane Campion's The Piano boasts any bite. But rather than regularly hitting hard with sharp satire, The Real Blonde instead focuses on tired relationship issues better suited to the small screen, thus wasting the talents of a potentially interesting cast that includes Maxwell Caulfield, Elizabeth Berkley, Buck Henry, Christopher Lloyd, and Daryl Hannah in underdeveloped supporting roles.