with Ebert commenting "it is Wright who does the best and most difficult job among the women, finding a painful balance between Claire's self-respect and her desire to hang on to Coles", and Macdonald saying she gives "a speech near the end that's beautifully delivered, yanking XX/XY into the dangerous territory of the heart." Axmaker added the film "doesn't necessarily offer anything new to the male/female dynamic, but it refuses to let Coles off the hook with an easy epiphany and a painless happily ever after." Ebert concluded his review acknowledging fellow critics‘ impressions of the characters as unsympathetic, and countered that "jerks are often the most interesting characters in the movies, and sometimes the ones most like ourselves. XX/XY would be dismal if the characters all behaved admirably", and "the film has a rare insight into the mechanism by which some men would rather pursue happiness than obtain it." References External links 2002 films 2002 independent films 2002 romantic drama films American romantic drama films IFC Films films Films about threesomes Female bisexuality in film Films set in New York City Films set in 1992 Films set in 2002 2000s English-language films 2000s American films