Starring Katrin Cartlidge, Lynda Steadman and Mark Benton Directed by Mike Leigh Rated R, with strong profanity Running time 88 minutes Jack gives this film a rating of 7 out of 10

(Aug. 22, 1997) -- Mike Leigh's Career Girls is a slight story -- a character study, really -- with nowhere near the substance or emotional impact of his Oscar-nominated domestic drama, Secrets & Lies, or his searing profile, Naked.

But even lesser films from this talented, highly original British filmmaker offer more for viewers than some of the best films from more conventional directors.

Leigh's improvised method of filmmaking -- with actors fleshing out skeleton plots and character sketches -- results in a fresh-faced reality that's missing from so many films by his contemporaries. The closest comparison might be with the iconoclastic films of his American predecessor, John Cassavettes.

Career Girls examines the weekend reunion of two thirtyish women who previously roomed together during their college years in London. Through present-day conversations and free-wheeling flashbacks, we observe the ups and downs of their friendship -- as well as their relationships with others.

Both are high-strung women -- and were more so in their early years. In fact, when we first meet Annie in a flashback, she's covered with a severe nervous rash, which prompts the unrestrained Hannah from commenting, "Your face looks like you had an encounter with a cheese grater."

But the young Hannah, too, was emotionally dysfunctional -- words came out of her in torrents and most were offensive to somebody. She hadn't learned discretion or compromise.

As older women, both are more stable, but neither will strike you as a calm, balanced individual. Still, they both seem positively sedate compared to their mutual friend, Ricky, an poignantly awkward schizophrenic. Together, the two women and Ricky fill gaps in one another's emotional makeups.

All three are beautifully played by Katrin Cartlidge (as Hannah), Lynda Steadman (as Annie) and Mark Benton (as Ricky). For certain adventuresome actors, working with Leigh generates startling work -- and that's the case here.

Not much happens to either of Leigh's so-called Career Girls; the film simply observes their emotional growth and provides honest laughs through their energetic conversations, cynical asides and wacky attitudes. And there is much comic relief in an interlude in which the two women go apartment hunting in London. In succession, they meet a would-be playboy whose efforts to pick them up fall hilariously flat -- and then encounter an old boyfriend who doesn't even remember dating either of them.

If you're looking for more eventful occurrences, you won't find them here. A brief sideways glance into the lives of two quirky young women may not sound like much, but Leigh is insightful, sensitive and witty enough to make it work.