"The Wendell Baker Story" ** (out of four): Writer/co-director/star Luke Wilson's mildly diverting but frustratingly uneven story of a small-time con artist trying to go the straight-and-narrow.

There's a sweet story of a small-time loser getting a second chance somewhere in “The Wendell Baker Story”, Luke Wilson’s mildly diverting but sadly uneven character study. Mr. Wilson, who wrote the film and co-directed it with his oldest brother Andrew, casts himself as Wendell, a con artist who makes his living selling fake ids to illegal Mexican immigrants. Wendell’s choice of occupation finally lands him in prison where – apparently due to his easy charm – he’s able to squeak by playing football and bring solidarity to the inmates. When his all-but-ignored girlfriend Doreen (Eva Mendes, wasted again) finally wises up and leaves him, Wendell vows to go the straight-and-narrow. The film is an obvious throwback to the offbeat anti-hero stories of the 70s, and that sensibility is mostly on display in the production design (the film looks beautiful and has a constant, jangly soundtrack). But Mr. Wilson's script, filmed in his native Texas, almost feels like an in-joke, as if its off-kilter tone alone is supposed to be funny. It’s not.

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