Do you recognize irony?

This is the morning that we tape the radio show “Movies 101” for Spokane Public Radio (we usually record either Tuesdays or Wednesdays). And I can’t see this being a sterling show.

Not that Bob Glatzer, Mary Pat Treuthart and I are exactly the second coming of Siskel, Ebert and whomever. But even if we were, the two movies we’ll be talking about don’t exactly fill me with enthusiasm.

“Slow Burn” is one of those little neo-noirs that shows up at one film festival or the next, kind of like Joe Carnahan’s “Narc” did a couple of years ago at Sundance. It stars Ray Liotta (who was also in “Narc”) as a district attorney whose lover (played by Jolene Blalock ) has just shot and killed a man she claims was her rapist? Ah, but was he?

The second film we’ll be talking about is “Perfect Stranger,” which stars Halle Berry in another quick payday as an investigative reporter who targets powerful men. This time she focuses her energies on Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis), the head of an advertising agency who has a taste for his female subordinates.

Neither is very good, though “Slow Burn” is the better of the two (if only because of Liotta). Trouble is, both are too clever for their own good. Movies such as these work only if, one, we care for the characters and, two, if at movie’s end we can actually see clearly what occurred.

There’s no one to like. And nothing much makes sense. One day after seeing each, I had trouble remembering the basic plot lines.

Should be a dynamite show.