In his debut as a writer-director, Sean Penn shows a sure hand with actors and a knack for setting up a scene visually and dramatically. But he's a bust at following through. Dedicating his movie to the late directors John Cassavetes and Hal Ashby, Penn emulates the emotional intensity of their films without locating a distinct style of his own. He's trying hard, too hard, for seriousness. There's no pacing, variety or humor in this unrelentingly somber film.

The movie begins with a scene in…