THESE two attempts at romantic comedy serve mainly to emphasise the difficulties this genre presents, and to demonstrate how good it can be when, in the hands of experts (as in Notting Hill), all the necessary elements are honed and perfected.

Nick Hamms film is by far the better of the two because, despite the implausibility of its plot, it makes the most of its coincidences, not to mention its cast and characters.

Monica Potter plays Martha, a young woman whose life has reached a dead end in Minneapolis. She decides to spend the last of her money on a ticket to London where she hopes to make a fresh start.

At the airport she meets Daniel (Tom Hollander), a record company executive who is so smitten that he pays to get her ticket upgraded to enable her to sit beside him and, further, to put her night at a posh hotel on his expense account.

Daniel has close friends in Frank (Rufus Swell), a child actor who has never quite grown up or enjoyed the success and fame he achieved as a kid, and Lawrence (Joseph Fiennes), who teaches bridge to middle-aged ladies. Daniel tells his story and its unexpected consequences to his pals and expresses amazement at the fact that Martha appears to have rejected his generosity.

But one of the avid listeners to Daniels tale of woe has already bumped into Martha and the other will also have the pleasure before very long. Jealousy, particularly Franks for Daniels conquests, has often been the cause of tension and their rivalry in this instance is compounded by Lawrences interest in the visiting American.

The story, fragmented and deconstructed as it is, is told initially by Lawrence to a neighbour (Ray Winstone) who lends a sympathetic ear and offers some unqualified advice that is sound even if it fails to resolve the tripartite courtship of Martha who is, naturally, unaware of the fierce competition she has sparked.

Modest and understated, The Very Thought of You makes few demands on viewers and rewards them with a few nice touches, good acting and writing tailor-made to fit the diverse characters. Although calling for a wilful suspension of belief, it contains a surprise or two and an impressive performance from Monica Potter, a relative newcomer in her first major role, albeit in a minor film.