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By
DEBORAH NICOL
From off the streets of
Cleveland comes the story of a miserably droll man
and his miserably droll life. Our hero Harvey
Pekar observes life's little annoyances and
creates a common world of humor through his
surprisingly hilarious underground comic book
series, "American Splendor." Originally
illustrated by perverse comic chum Robert Crumb,
Pekar never drew himself, but supplied an array of
aggravating situations for numerous illustrators
to tackle. In co-directors Shari Springer Berman
and Robert Pulcini's creatively entertaining film
of the same name, the actual Pekar narrates his
life as portrayed by Paul Giamatti, and steps in
every so often to straighten out the story.
The film playfully flips between comic book
panels, live action sequences, inserted
illustrations, and interviews with Pekar and the
people of his life. The fantastic soundtrack is
crammed with great jazz, influenced by Pekar's
years as a jazz critic. This fabulous use of
various media keeps even the worst ADD victim
alert (as would be noted by the queen of
psychological syndromes, Pekar's wife Joyce
Brabner). Giamatti nails the frustration and
distress that comes with living Pekar's life, and
Hope Davis tackles yet another role of someone too
dreary to make an effort to smile in Brabner. Both
actors are quite successful in their portrayals,
and carry off the script's dry humor with much
aplomb. With so much to be unhappy about
(including a serious bout with cancer that he
somehow translates into a comic book), it is
amazing just how humorously this film plays, and
how entertaining it is without being
disheartening.
DVD extras include commentary by cast and crew, a
quirky featurette of the Pekar family attending
the film's many awards shows, the title song, an
HBO Films ad, a trailer, and downloads for the
computer. |
