A half dozen Chekhov stories about solitude and quiet desperation inspired this 2002 debut feature by writer-director Michael Meredith, though the presiding spirit, for better or worse, seems to be Alan Rudolph. Crisscrossing destinies are examined over three rainy days in Cleveland (Rudolph would more likely have made it Seattle), accompanied by moody cocktail-lounge jazz from a local radio station whose DJ (Lyle Lovett) serves as a kind of Greek chorus. (Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano is one of the featured players.) Presented by Wim Wenders, with whom Meredith wrote the subsequent Land of Plenty, this is familiar but atmospheric, with good performances by Peter Falk, Blythe Danner, Joey Bilow, Michael Santoro, Merle Kennedy, and former football pro Don Meredith (the filmmaker’s father). 98 min. (JR)