Young stud hits L.A. intending to screw his way upward by nailing rich cougars. Yes, we've been there — American Gigolo, Shampoo, Deuce Bigalow.

Now Ashton Kutcher has a go at it. Director David Mackenzie (Young Adam) lays on lots of hot naked bodies. Thank you, man. But the script by Jason Dean Hall turns Kutcher's character, Nikki, into a boilerplate setup for a fall. Nikki moves in with Samantha (the excellent Anne Heche), a 40-ish lawyer living large in Hollywood. But when she's off premises, he's banging younger flesh, in her bed. Nikki is bound to meet his female equal (Margarita Levieva) and take his lumps. Props to Kutcher for going to surprising, painful places. There's something haunted in his portrayal that hits hard and sticks.