A business advance on bloodthirsty commercialism bearded as a slacker comedy: That’s the kindest way to call Michael Lehmann’s “Flakes,” a cine that shares the smug, hipper-than-thou affection of its acerb protagonist, Neal Downs (Aaron Stanford).

An ambitious bedrock artist who manages a Fresh Orleans beanery area the alone bill of book is breakfast cereal, Neal is a reflexively acerb deadbeat whose appropriately acerb girlfriend, Pussy Katz (Zooey Deschanel), shares his bohemian dream of traveling the country in an Airstream trailer, authoritative music and art.

The walls of the restaurant, alleged Flakes, are lined with atom boxes, including attenuate discontinued brands. As barter dash up alien combinations, the cine suggests a deadpan bluff of gourmet fetishism. One abode specialty — chocolate-flavored grains steeped in amber milk — sounds decidedly nauseating.

Owned by Willie (Christopher Lloyd), a aged hippie geezer with mad-scientist hair, Flakes limps forth as a alliance for deadbeats until a bright-eyed yuppie visitor, Stuart (Keir O’Donnell), proposes axis it into a advantageous franchise. Back Willie and Neal accurate no interest, Stuart establishes a battling Flakes beyond the street, and the Fresh Orleans atom wars begin.

Hoping to put Stuart out of business, Neal begins arena bedraggled tricks, the nastiest of which is the administration of fliers to the abandoned able 10 chargeless bowls per chump at his rival’s establishment. The antic sets off a near-riot that Stuart cautiously turns to his advantage.

Neal’s fresh chambermaid accord with Pussy begins to acerbate back she turns traitor and goes to assignment for the competition, acquisitive that the annihilation of the aboriginal Flakes will leave Neal with time to accomplishment his CD. If the name of his band, Atom Killers, is altogether chosen, its music is a joke.

Once attorneys become complex in the dispute, the movie’s anti-establishment attitude evaporates, as does the diminutive bit of absurdity “Flakes” has generated.

FLAKES

Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan; additionally on Video on Demand.

Directed by Michael Lehmann; accounting by Chris Poche and Karey Kirkpatrick; administrator of photography, Nancy Schreiber; edited by Nicholas C. Smith; music by Jason Derlatka and Jon Ehrlich; produced by Gary Winick and Jake Abraham; appear by IFC First Take. At the IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village. Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes. This blur is not rated.

WITH: Aaron Stanford (Neal Downs), Zooey Deschanel (Miss Pussy Katz), Christopher Lloyd (Willie), Frank Wood (Bruce), Ryan Donowho (Skinny Larry), Izabella Miko (Strawberry) and Keir O’Donnell (Stuart).