If somebody decided to bottle charisma, they'd do well to nab product samples from each, as these three exude a warmth that jumps from the screen. Because of that, it's nearly impossible to dislike "Dogs." Whether you love it is another thing.

Written and directed by Gary David Goldberg, the movie is assuredly cute. Unfortunately, it's equally familiar.

Lane stars as Sarah, a recently divorced woman looking for love in a dating world she long ago abandoned. It's a character not unlike the one she played in 2003's "Under the Tuscan Sun."

Meanwhile, Cusack finds himself in a similar position. He's Jake, a kind-hearted fellow who spends his days building wooden boats nobody wants to buy. How he makes a living creating time-intensive yet unmarketable products isn't clear. But in movies like this, it's best not to ask questions.

The bottom line is these two cute-as-a-button people find themselves single. They meet when Sarah's sister (Elizabeth Perkins) files a personal ad for her, and it's answered by Jake's divorce attorney (Glenn Howerton). He sets a date for Jake.

You'll note that movie romances rarely involve characters willing to file or answer their own personal ads. We assume that would show a sense of desperation unflattering to big-time sex symbols. At one point in the picture, however, Sarah does file her own ads and ... she meets all the wrong guys. That's because, of course, Jake is the right guy.

That is obvious not only from the beginning of the film but also from the trailers. Still, romance movies must have conflict. In this case, the first hurdle is Jake's tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. The second, and larger, hurdle is the mandatory romantic triangle that finds Sarah choosing between the "wrong guy" (Dermot Mulroney) and Jake.

"Must Love Dogs" has plenty of fun moments. But they are sadly balanced by scenes regular moviegoers have watched dozens of times. For example, Goldberg hits us with a montage of Lane's bad blind dates and counters with scenes where Jake's attorney begs his forlorn client to spend a night out on the town.

The latter moments involve a strange rule of modern romantic comedies. That is, movie characters don't have attorneys. They have best pals that not only settle financial matters but also do their best to cheer clients up months after collecting their fees.

Of course, that's fitting in a world where gorgeous thirty- to fortysomethings spend most of their time moping and the rest coming up with excuses to stay clear of their perfect mate.