The characters and plot are simplistic and stereotypical, yet there is a narrator explaining them to you.
"Once upon a time in New York, there was a cop named Charlie, who was a very decent guy." Isn't this the sort of thing we're supposed to discover, by watching the movie? Anyway, this decent guy Charlie spends the whole movie going to exorbitant lengths to impress, wine, dine, and establish an intimate relationship with a waitress played by Bridget Fonda, even though he's married to Rosie Perez' character. Perez is portrayed as shallow and annoying, so I guess that makes it ok to cheat on her and still be considered a "decent guy". Whatever. Don't care, didn't finish it.