Movies-TV

A life unexamined....

I forget who said "a life unexamined is not worth living". I think it was Socrates. Oh well. Harvey Pekar's American Splendor series of autobiographical comic books is made into a film. Yes...I know...I know...the books are better. Aren't they always? On it's own this film is a classic. It is honest and real. The film fades between Harvey's short commentraries and the longer scenes. Paul Giamatti plays Harvey and Hope Davis plays Joyce Brabner, Harvey's wife. They communicate each others characters very well. The acting is so well done, and not labored in the least, that the tensions and love in the relationship are evident in each scene. Often this is communicated through one or two words, or even a look. Hope can give "the look" that simply shuts Harvey down. I wonder if this is Joyce's look or did Hope originate this? The daily grind many of us experience is portrayed accurately. Harvey locks himself out of his apartment, Joyce wants him to unload some of his records to make space for her stuff, a long grovery line that goes nowhere and Harvey can't keep his mouth shut about the shortcomings of a film his friend thinks is insprational. This is real life. I grew up around Cleveland ethnics, my famliy came from Germany, and until you have experienced it you haven't lived. The film captures all this. If you are looking for escapism this ain't it...if you think this film offers escapism then you're a blue blood.

Splendid "Splendor"

This movie is wonderful. It manages to be both stylistically daring and genuinely touching. Harvey Pekar is such a fantastic protagonist because he's so heartbreakingly ordinary. Lonely, overwhelmed, unlucky in love and stuck in a dead-end job, Harvey decides to turn his humdrum life into a comic book, and ends up becoming a cultural icon that ordinary people everywhere can relate to. His romance and marriage to Joyce is one of the most touching and heartwarming screen romances I've seen in a long time. And when Harvey inadvertently becomes a television celebrity by becoming a regular on the David Letterman Show, he quickly finds himself disgusted by the whole charade and sabotages it (the scene with Pekar having a disturbing on-air argument with Letterman is one of the most intense scenes in the film). The film brilliantly combines the fictionalized story of Harvey, portrayed by actors, with real footage of the people being portrayed, as well as animation inspired by the comic book. In the process, the ordinary people portrayed become fascinating, hilarious and endearing.

What the medium was made for

This is thoughtful, moving film-making that makes creative use of the medium to confront the audience with a compelling personal story. It has the power of theater and the seductiveness of film. American Splendor shows us one "cut" through life as these people live it without preaching or judging, without praise or condescension. For that alone it deserves the awards it has received. Yes, the acting is very good, but that's not with this is about. This is about showing us life without the weaknesses of the fiction and documentary formats. I was fascinated both by the particular story and the technique, which does not get in the way of the story at all. If you can leave the movie theater without being forced to reflection by this film, then you are a far sadder case than Harvey Pekar!

Weird

Not a 'bad' movie, but having lived in Pittsburgh, the images reminded me of that and were quite depressing. The poverty, bleakness, deranged people all around, were all too real. If you have any doubts about how realistic that was portrayed, please don't. Kind of an oddball film both in cinemagraphic style and content. It showed an under-told story of part of Americana, the underground comic scene. Or in this case, what motivates those comicbook writers. They say artistic expression is sometimes borne from misery and that seemed to be true in Harvey's life. (Or as Letterman put it, "If misery loves company, then this man must have a house full of people!"). The trouble is, his life never got much better! It will appeal to some, although it was depressing to the end for me.

quite good but quite different

It was quite good but also quite a bit different from what I expected.I thought it was going to be a regular film but with comic book style framing and words (like it was in the title sequence). I wasn't expecting the post modern addition of the real people sections (especially when they were interacting with, and commenting on, the actors playing them) or the live action/2D animation combination either. I also thought they'd be more of a story (most likely the cancer thing) but it was all very low key. It reminded me of 'A Cock and Bull Story' in some ways.I think I might have have enjoyed it more if I was familiar with the comics but I think I'll appreciate it more the second time around - now that I know what kind of film it is.

An accurate portrayal, warts and all

This movie is a rare exception -- it is the first time I have given a film a "10" rating. Why? Because American Splendor has a consistency of vision that sets it apart from nearly all other films. Not quite a documentary or a traditional docudrama, American Splendor draws a contract with the viewer and never once breaks it.Really, here is the question you must ask to determine whether any movie deserves a "10" rating: Can it be improved on in any way? In this case, the answer is "no." If you answered "yes," your standards are unrealistic: You either enjoy a handful of films that rank with Citizen Kane or you would rather watch something far less demanding.In addition, the movie invites discussion, entertains, makes you think about your own life and re-defines the word "hero." If you haven't seen American Splendor, go out and buy the VHS or DVD now. You'll not only want to add it to your personal collection, you'll want to loan it to your friends and relatives.

Look at that: Harvey Pekar and Hope Davis!

"American Splendor" was one of those films mildly recognized when it came out by some critics, and lauded to the skies by some others. The LA Film Critics gave the film a screenplay award, but when I looked again, I realized there was a "Best Picture" award attached too. These same critics have praised the thing as a masterpiece of independent film-making. Unacceptable.For one, I have not encountered a film on this site that is not designated as a "masterpiece" by some deluded reviewer. For another, the film might hide behind the mask of independent bravura, but the casting gives it away completely. When you have the pear-shaped and balding Giamatti cast as a fairly accurate Harvey Pekar, then the same should apply for his female counterpart. But the Hollywood creators of the film couldn't bite the bullet and cast a matching unattractive female lead. Are there any actresses out there besides Meryl Streep and Kirsten Dunst who are not nor were ever pretty? The filmmakers attempt to make Hope Davis into a plain Jane by draping her in a Lily Munster wig and setting a pair of wide-rimmed spectacles on her nose. But her movie-star good looks easily scream through. Is Charleze Theron the only one in recent memory to pull off the sort of extreme physical transformation seemingly required of our Hollywood starlets these days? (as she lost it all promptly in time for the many awards ceremonies) Here's an idea: instead of making our pretty girls ugly, why not just save a lot of trouble and hire an ugly duckling who can ACT? Hope Davis is a normally fine actress, but her forced gawkiness is miscast here. There is absolutely NO resemblance between Pekar's real-life wife at the end of the film with Davis, but there are plenty of similarities between Pekar and Giamatti, so I don't want to hear that movies don't have to mimic real life since the filmmakers wanted to have it both ways here.The acting and writing are what is usually praised about this film, but frankly the script is disgustingly exploitive and gimmicky. Pekar's insistent pessimism is so narrow and repetitive that there is absolutely nothing else shown about this character. We get the filmic version of the comic book character, only the constant one-liners and sitcom humor of comic strips don't really make for a very compelling or even watchable feature-length film. And the idea of a depressed loser isn't all that new, people. The filmmakers' and writers' doggedness in making sure Pekar does not change from his surly self one iota isn't formulaic, but the idea is horribly thin. Look at it this way: change Pekar's monochromatic crabbiness with a spunky guy who's always giddy and smiling, and you get the same, irritatingly simplistic, exaggerated, and petty version on another extreme that no critic would be calling "refreshing" or "different." The sad but thankfully upbeat reality of the matter is that Pekar bears no more resemblance to another side of the American everyman than does, say, Polyanna or Pippa resemble plausible moral uplift in ugly suburbia.Bottom line, unless you're dealing with someone with bipolar disorder, extremes of people rarely make for realistic or compelling characters. Forgive me for this rant, as I normally wouldn't have such a problem with the idea of a depressed file clerk finding a creative outlet, but the idea that Pekar should get commended for his phony and calculated self-loathing is insulting. The guy obviously cares enough about what he has to say that he's published anthologies of his works and now has made a movie ABOUT HIMSELF. Contrast his manipulative business acumen with, say, true manic-depressives like playwright Sarah Kane who recently took her life for (or maybe from) her art, and you'll see where I'm getting at. For Pekar, there's a lot of money to be made and attention to be gained being a scratchy-voiced spokesman for the emotionally oppressed. There is zero authenticity to this guy, and maybe it fits that the character in the film is so shallow as well.The few witticisms in the screenplay taken directly from Pekar's comic strip are no solve to the already unsalvageable mess. It's like giving a guy some Tylenol when a dog is chewing on his balls; we're not combating the source. And while Giamatti is decent, his performance is marred by the mere post-"Sideways" fact that he is capable of so much more. In "Splendor," Giamatti's excessive and exaggerated mannerisms, like scratching his head OVER and OVER (along with his jumping eyebrows), play to the exact same idea that Harvey Pekar is just a caricature, and not a character. His acting corrective can be found in Payne's "Sideways;" it's pretty much a perfect performance. In fact, just go see "Sideways," a film about REAL people living lives of REAL desperation, and skip this scheming dreck.

Excellent film, my favorite movie of 2003.

Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti) is a lonely, ordinary but smart guy living in the slums of Cleveland. He works as a file clerk at the V.A. Hostipal. After being married twice... he feels, there's something more to life than being an 8 to 5 file clerk. When he meets underground artist named Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak), it inspired him to make his own drownings but especially writing everyday life as a comic strip. When Crumb read his amateur comics, he enjoyed it so much. He decides to help Harvey to sell it as a possible comic book. Harvey is thrill with the idea. Harvey's comic book sales and it is titled "American Splendor". He used himself, his friends and strangers he meets to be characters on his comic book. But then Harvey falls in love with Joyce Brabner (Hope Davis), an intelligent if somewhat odd woman... who loves Harvey's comics. Then life for Harvey and Joyce truly beings.Written and Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (The Nanny Diaries) made an enjoying, true to life tale about the everyday life's of ordinary people. This film is based on real people, even the real-life characters appears as themselves time to time... to tell the stories about themselves and life. 2003... it was an very poor year for movies expect for the expectations of this movie as well for "Mystic River", "Kill Bill Vol.1", "The Lord of the Rings:Return of the King" and even the remake of the underrated "Willard" or guilty pleasures like "Freddy Vs. Jason", "Final Destination 2" or "Dreamcatcher". But "American Splendor" is way up there and it was my favorite movie, i seen that year. Well... actually in 2004, when i seen it in a movie channel and then i said, why in the hell... i didn't rented this. I was far away from a movie theater like 800 Kilometers at least.DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD's best feature is the running commentary track by the filmmakers, actor:Giamatti & Judah Friedlander as Toby Radloff and the real characters from the movie like Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabner, Toby Radloff (A real genuine nerd) and Danielle Batone (Harvey's and Joyce's step-daughter). DVD also includes an brief featurette about Pekar's movie year, original theatrical trailer, downloads for your PC and a hidden feature. "American Splendor" is a movie that everyone should see and it has something that everyone could related to life. Don't miss it. The filmmaker received an Oscar nominated for Best Adapated Screenplay and i think, they should have won. (**** 1/2 out of *****).

Best film I've seen this year

I must admit that I had never heard of Harvey Pekar or "American Splendor" before seeing this movie a couple of nights ago. In fact, this film would have slipped by me entirely had I not seen the review by Ebert & Roeper.
That being said, it is an ingenious piece of filmmaking in every aspect--from the directing to the acting to the cinematography.I have been a big fan of Paul Giamatti since first seeing him in "Private Parts." After seeing "American Splendor" my entire view of him has changed.
He isn't just a great character actor as I had previously believed; he is as solid a leading-man as I've seen. Seeing Giamatti's portrayal juxtaposed with the real Harvey Pekar proves this point perfectly.A movie that, on the surface and pre-judged, will sadly be overlooked may just be the best film of the year. The film is difficult to categorize as it straddles the line between a fact-based drama and a documentary.
Wherever one decides to place though, the fact remains that it is pure genius. It is a film deserving the highest of accolades. Hopefully it is not overlooked as so many quirky independent films are. If nothing else, Giamatti's performance deserves any award being offered for lead actor.

vaguely heroic

The average American doesn't know the name Harvey Pekar, the star of "American Splendor," but the drawings of his comics are very recognizeable as the style of cartoonist Robert Crumb, the "keep on truckin'" guy. "Splendor" is the story of an average guy and his efforts to give meaning to a mundane life by translating it into comic form. The film uses an interesting technique of interspersing footage of the real life Pekar and the people in his life, which is successful since he is such a colorful character. The movie flows along well until the major conflict which dulled the experience for me.

Giamatti is something to behold.

I had a few problems with the style at first but it grew to be pretty comfortable after a while. All of the stuff with the actual Pekar and such was a little disorienting for the first half an hour, but since he doesn't appear after that until the very end it's easy to deal with. That being said, my only big complaint with the film is the inclusion of the real people every so often just because ironically it really draws you out of the story and feels almost self-indulgent and certainly bland. I'd much rather prefer seeing a competent actor like Paul Giamatti playing out a story for two hours then him playing it out for an hour and a half with some old guy being awkward and boring for the other half. The performances are good all around, with Giamatti clearly being the standout with one of the best portrayals of the decade. Overall, Pekar's story is an interesting one and the film did a pretty good job at portraying that.

Ordinary hero

"American Splendor" is movie about life of one ordinary man. His name is Harvey Pekar and he works as file clerk at the local hospital. Harvey likes to read, listen to music and as any other man he's got many problems in his life. He feels lonely, he's always without money and he already had two unsuccessful marriages behind him. Soon, Harvey decides to write a comic, encouraged by success of Robert Crumb. Crumb is his friend and he became famous because of his comic. Harvey writes a comic called American Splendor, where he describes his and life of his friends.What "American Splendor" offers is unique and great view to a life of Harvey Pekar. Why was this movie so good to me? Cause Harvey is ordinary and normal man, he's not a hero like Superman or Batman; he's much more then that. A hero in eyes of ordinary people, he's not an imagination but a man with real problems (from his love life to cancer). Everything is made excellently in this movie and this is a great chance to meet Harvey Pekar.We can see real Harvey Pekar in this movie also but Paul Giamatti turns all attention to himself. He was simply great in this movie in portraying Pekar, just like Hope Davis, who plays Joyce - Harvey's wife. Judah Friedlander also played Toby Radloff perfectly. Actually, even if you don't want to see a story of Harvey Pekar, just watch this movie because of strong performances of every single actor. This movie is a winner in my eyes.

My Hometown and My First Time in a Movie

As a native Clevelander, the focus on a pretty well-known gentleman such as Harvey Pekar does make me proud of my hometown. I must first admit that I am biased not just because of the fact that this is Cleveland, Ohio, but also the fact that I appeared as an extra in this film. I played Frank, the manager of the grocery store in the scene where Harvey is stuck behind the old Jewish lady. Having to react non-verbally to this lady was a challenge. The production staff was first rate and they advised me as how to time my entrance from the manager's office to the check-out counter was a really big help. One of my brothers-in-law is a restaurant manager, and he gave me some pointers as to proper eye contact. My voice teacher saw the movie and was impressed! Although I do not know Mr. Pekar, I am well acquainted with his friend Toby Radloff, who is not only a "genuine nerd", but also a genuine gentleman.

An Absolute Sleeper

After seeing this movie, I declared it one of my alltime favorites. I can relate a good deal with this person. The movie shows that despite the fact that he may appear to be a loser, he (at the same time) is an absolute winner.

American splendid!

i went on a small budget independent movie spree through realflix... just to see what's out there and came across this little gem. paul giamatti is excellent as the title character-- a gruff, sad-sack little man working a dead-end job but who has "delusions of grandeur" to be a famous comic-book artist. when he can't think of a good comic book, he ends up doing a series on his own life-- which leads him to fame, if not fortune.supporting giamatti is an excellent cast-- and you'll find the filmmaker's technique of dove-tailing the real world characters the fictionalized characters are based on, with their ficitonal movie counterparts-- interesting and effective.if you like performance... this is a movie you'll want to see.

Excellent Little Flick

This movie is symbolic of most comic book fans. Their stories, or atleast the stories they love to read and view, are acted out in their comics.Full of hilarious characters, excellent directing, and a strong story. This movie is based on the true story of Harvey Pekar. His unique tell is acted out on camera as you see both the actors portrayal his life, and then actual footage of the current day Pekar.Not just for comic book fans but also anyone interested in viewing a warm hearted story about real life things. Hey, in a sense, aren't we all a little like Harvey?

There's something missing here...

From all the great reviews I read about this movie, I thought this would be a great change from all the intellectually devoid movies out there. I like comics, Paul Giamatti and any deviation from your typical hollywood movie. But this has gotta be one of the most boring and difficult movies I've ever watched. The characters are very uninteresting and I never really cared about anything going on. And this guy narrating various points of his own life got really annoying! I think it's a great idea, but the way it's executed made the movie even more uninteresting...I will not recommend this movie to anyone.

"Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff." - Harvey Pekar

This film is a proof that each life is interesting, important, and unique – you can make a masterpiece of your own life, your daily routine and your own misery. "American Splendor" reminds in this regard Woody Allen's comedies but it is a very original and stylish film. Based on the comic books by Harvey Pekar about Harvey Pekar, the film features Paul Giamatti as Harvey, Hope Davis as his third wife Joyce, and real Harvey and Joyce as themselves. Giamatti and Davis are absolutely brilliant; the story is funny, honest, touching, and yes, sweet. It is not, probably, easy to like Harvey but I am very glad that the story of his life and work was filmed by the very talented people who did like and understand him, and who found a great way to tell the world about him.

A QUIRKY OFF-BEAT FILM THAT'LL SNEAK UP ON YOU..

What a sweet film this is: not in a mushy sentimentalistic sort of way, but with the kindness of redemptive grace. Even the moments of meanness in the narrative are transformed by something like an omnipresent forgiveness in the face of adversity and weakness: the beauty of our ordinary lives!

While somewhat slow at the outset, it sneaks up on you, makes you laugh and then think. Pulcini ostensibly follows a simplistic narrative, but technically the film's a marvel of ingenuity. Enough has been written already by other reviewers about this aspect, and it has to be seen to be appreciated anyhow, so I'll leave that be.

But the main thing that impresses me is how this film, like those of Satyajit Ray, Ingmar Bergman, and Francois Truffaut, revives in the viewer a sensitivity, all too easily blunted by today's horrific headlines of cynicism, hatred, greed, and despair, to what it can mean to be simply human, surviving -- and creating.

One of my all time favorites. I highly recommend this off-beat offering from Pulcini! Rave review or otherwise, you must savour it for yourself.

Light-hearted true story carried by exceptional characters

Not being a huge fan of comic books, I feared I would miss a lot of the intertextuality in American Splendor, or that I wouldn't 'get' the central themes of the story. However, the film concerns itself more with the life of Harvey Pekar as an individual, rather than flaunting an encyclopaedic knowledge of comics. The metacinematic device of having the story intersticed with interviews with the real Harvey Pekar echoes the relationship Pekar has with his own work – it is a facsimile of real life with the darkly humorous moments emphasised.Pekar opens the film by commenting on himself in the third person, then warning the viewer that if they were expecting "romance or escapism or some fantasy figure to save the day... guess what? You've got the wrong movie." The directors couldn't have wished for a more succinct characterisation – a cynical self-criticism from the subject himself. From this, we began to sympathise a lot earlier with Pekar's pessimistic attitude.Perhaps the most obvious feature of the film is its selective use of the comic book aesthetic. The entire film could have been carried out with in the confines of a comic panel, but this only happens when Pekar breaks the fourth wall, either by addressing the audience directly or when the real Pekar is being interviewed. This reinforces the idea that, through writing realistically about the world he lives in, he cannot escape his own comic book idyll.