The male friendship at center of MMFDL is based on a squabbling trio of scriptwrighter Peter Morgan's own friends. The idea for the film's scenario came from a dinner party (attended by these same friends), where four of the guests fell in love with the same woman. After this experience, he immediately wrote a treatment and pitched it to Producer Grainne Marmion.

Marmion was so intrigued by thee story that she commissioned him the very next morning. "He told the story of the film like a joke: I was riveted. There was something incredibly refreshing and candid about his take on uptight English men who cannot express themselves emotionally. Men do talk the way women do amongst themselves, it's just no-one has written about it before."

When the time came to hire a director the decision was a simple one - Nick Hamm. Nick and Peter had worked before on past Rik Mayall comedies for TW and so it was a relatively easy choice for Marmion. "Nick and Peter share the ability to understand the story and stand back from it at the same time," she explains.

What they brought to the big screen is a clever and hilariously observed comedy of human behavior. It tells the story of three men whose friendship is based on longevity rather than present circumstances and this lays bare the selfishness and jealousies inherent within friendships the world over!

For Hamm, it was also about the way men reach a certain point in their lives. "There is a great quote from Arthur Miller who says that at the age of thirty you wake up one morning and find that you are shaving your father," he explains. "These boys are trying to find something and they encounter a woman who is brave enough to choose a way out; to go to the airport and simply get the first flight anywhere." Morgans agrees, "Martha has a life that she doesn't like and she decides to do something about it. The three men she meets are all people whose lives could also do with an overhaul."

For a film that pivots on the idea of friendship, casting was crucial. The filmmakers were determined to find a trio that would gel perfectly together and a woman who would be captivating enough to change their lives. Hamm in particular wanted actors with comic ability but who could also play their neuroses. What he ended up with was, in his opinion, "the next wave of movie stars - three of the most exciting actors in the UK". His opinion is already proving to be right with Joseph Fiennes rocketing to superstar status following performances in Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love.

With the character of Frank, Rufus Sewell had a rare chance to showcase his remarkable comic skills. "Rufus is a very, very funny man," says Hamm. "He likes taking the piss out of himself and has a marvelous raconteur ability." Marmion shares the directors enthusiasm: "Rufus is very good at being blokeish, but he's also completely accessible. There's something really compelling about him."

Sewell himself was delighted with the part. "At drama school, I was always the comic," he grins. "so, when I left I was careful not to get involved in comedy because I thought I stuck. But I wanted to smoke cigarettes and say fuck a lot. So this was the perfect plot.

Daniel, played by Tom Hollander, "is a pompous arse," says Hamm. "But his character is very witty and vulnerable in the hands of Tom. Tom's a consummate comedian. He's talented, attractive and he can play emotion truthfully; and yet he is hilariously funny."

The role of Laurence is played by current movie heart-throb Joseph Fiennes. "Joe's part was quite difficult," explains Hamm. "You have to believe he has a dilemma about holding the friendship together. Therefore he has to be gentle, warm and open. Joseph fulfilled all of those characteristics. He is simply one of the most exciting faces and forces that I'd seen in front of the camera."

The part of Martha was in hot demand among Hollywood's A-list actresses. "Martha had to be beautiful enough to make three men want to change their lives," explains Hamm. "But I wanted the woman in the audience to identify with her." The balance was providing difficult to find, until Hamm met Monica Potter and he knew at once that he had found his leading lady. "What was rare about her, is that she is very attractive but she is also a brilliant comedian. She is a combination of Goldie Hawn and Julia Roberts, but she can play straight emotion. She just lights up the room when she walks in."