Man About Town Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Welcome to the deep end of a very shallow town.
Sometime, love can shake your world
Sometimes it's not about getting the deal. It's about getting a life.
A top Hollywood talent agent (Affleck) finds his cushy existence threatened when he discovers that his wife is cheating on him and that his journal has been swiped by a reporter out to bring him down.
| Ben Affleck | Jack Giamoro |
| Rebecca Romijn | Nina Giamoro |
| John Cleese | Dr. Primkin |
| Samuel Ball | Jimmy Dooley |
| Mike Binder | Morty |
| Erica Cerra | Sela |
| Gina Gershon | Arlene Kreiner |
| Adam Goldberg | Phil Balow |
| Howard Hesseman | Ben Giamoro |
| Ling Bai | Barbi Ling |
| Jerry O'Connell | David Lilly |
| Kal Penn | Alan Fineberg |
| Amber Valletta | Brynn Lilly |
| Damien Wayans | Lucky Reynolds |
| Laura Soltis | Barbara Giamoro |
| Mike Binder |
5.70 out of 10 (1056 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Aww! Its okay!
posted on 14 Aug 2009Maybe I wasn't expecting much, and when it comes to Ben Affleck in a starring role, does one ever? I was mildly surprised when I found myself actually enjoying 'Man about town'! Its good, lighthearted fun. Its not meant to be an Oscar winner, and never takes itself too seriously. It contains some hilarious one-liners delivered by a uniformly good cast. Rebecca Romijn is luminous in her role and pulls it off easily. Howard Hesseman enjoys himself thoroughly and Gina Gershon also shines in a small but pivotal role. The only disappointment is Bai Ling. Whoever thought she could act should be drawn and quartered!
I liked it but it's not a comedy
posted on 25 Jul 2009I liked the movie. Ben was funny and Rebecca Romijn lovely and very attractive. Both gave a mature performance, and the characters they portrayed were real and convincing. But the movie contained more drama than comedy. A few times I laughed, but overall this movie had a serious message about how to cope with people's imperfection (and your own). Psychological themed movies always are presented as comedy (hence the casting of John Cleese, the neurotic par example) but that's just to make it not too heavy. I liked the message of the movie though. All together the movie is a nice distraction, and some people may learn from it. Especially if you are a fan of Ben, this is a must-see.
A Truly Hilarious Situation
posted on 22 May 2009I never thought much about Ben Affleck until I saw him in "Hollywoodland". He was remarkable in that film, so when I saw "Man About Town" on cable, I decided to watch it. I've never been more surprised in my life. It's a good movie - not mind-blowing, but fun to watch. However, there is a situation in the film involving Ben's teeth that qualifies as one of the funniest things I have ever seen on film...or maybe it's just me. Nevertheless, I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard at anything in a movie. Affleck was hilarious...and the writing was priceless. As I said, maybe it was just me...or perhaps it was the wine (nah!), but I say watch it for yourself and see what happens.
Excellent film, great performances all around
posted on 26 Apr 2009Honestly this film surprised me. After sitting through Surviving Christmas I didn't think I'd give Affleck another chance. But he pulls off an exceptional performance here, nailing every emotional scene as well as comedic. The rest of the cast was great as well, with only Rebecca Romin turning in a so so performance.Definitely check this out if you're into movies like American Beauty, where comedy and drama mesh well and create something poignant. Also, if you feel that you're at a point in your life where you have no clue what you're doing, check this film out. It'll help. You'll feel better.9/10.
This is really one of the worst movies I've ever seen...
posted on 24 Apr 2009Okay, first of all, Ben Affleck is one of the partners of a high-powered Hollywood agency. About halfway through, he moans about never being able to close a deal or get things done. How the hell did someone like that become head of a high-powered Hollywood agency? Second, why do we care about him? He's shallow, uninteresting and his life is meaningless. That's supposed to be the point, I gather, but this is no Jerry MacGuire and no hidden interesting depths are to be found here. Third, his supermodel wife (!) has absolutely no character. She mopes around about how much she loves him (even though she's been having an affair with one of his clients), but we learn nothing about her except that she has no personality. The whole movie's emotional center is supposed to be whether he gets back together with her, but we have no reason to think they should be together in the first place (and no, the idiotic virtual CGI sequence of them scuba-diving doesn't provide that context). Fourth, the Asian woman who steals Ben's journal - every time the agency folk meet this woman, she (A) HAPPENS to have the journal in her purse (which would be the stupidest thing in the world to carry to a meeting with them) and (B) they STEAL it from her and run in a merry Keystone Cops-like chase that's completely absurd and unnecessary since...IT'S NOT HERS TO BEGIN WITH. IT'S STOLEN PROPERTY. CALL THE POLICE, YOU SIX PEOPLE WITH CELL PHONES!!! But, no, no, that would make sense. And finally (although I could go on and on), the ending where Ben and Rebecca ride away from Hollywood to who knows where. I thought to myself, where are they going? They can only function in Hollywood. They have no other existence beyond Hollywood. The viewer can't conceive of them anywhere else the way they've been presented. This movie made absolutely no emotional or logical sense, I didn't understand the writer-director's take on Ben Affleck's character at all. I don't want to bag on Ben - he's actually good when used correctly = I blame the script and direction that left him standing around with egg on his face (and on his Armani suit).Oh, I did like Howard Hesseman.
The movie is great
posted on 29 Mar 2009I like Ben Affleck,is a nice guy...in this movie is funny and straight... I love to laugh,that because the life is not so good with us/ mostly in Romania/...like in the movie...nobody is perfect and truly happy ,no matter how much money you have...I'd like to say more but I don't know how... if you said that is not enough words.I'd like to continue in Romanian, but you don't let me..OK than,how I said the movie contains much subtleties,refined humor and Ben/not a great actor/is very cute like always.I'd like to see much movies like that,and I will recommend to my friends,to everybody I know if that matters.Peoples go to see-it because that movie is GREAT and thank you for listen my opinions, MANO
No captions for the hearing impaired
posted on 12 Jan 2009I was disappointed to find that I was unable to watch this film as there was no captions. I would have thought as the film was made in 2006 and in this era of marvellous technology, this would have been available.I thought when I hired the DVD, that there were subtitles available but after a phone call to the Video shop, I was informed that if you look closer, there was no tick beside the word, subtitles.Maybe it would have been better if the word, subtitles, was not written on the DVD cover. Normally, I would look for this word and if it is not there, I assume that the DVD is not subtitled.
A very rounded film: Jersey Girl for grown-ups
posted on 08 Jan 2009Stress and Success: I believe that "Man About Town" gets to the soul of work-life balance in a surprising way. A head review on IMDb compares it to American Beauty -- I think this makes it too heavy and the themes too weighty -- it is Jersey Girl with grown-ups - has farce, charm, and truly poignant scenes, as well as a man who as his life goes down the toilet makes his soul play and work for him. Is it about the material waste vs. romance? : well, no not really; a modern parable of values; a little; an Italian drama with American values played out like a french comedy romance: definitely. There is a strong cast: A pythonesque cameo breaks up the story into segments. Howard Hesseman as the father is a better role than expected: and he delivers a class performance. A face I hadn't noticed before, Damien Wayans, (well according to IMDb his previous credits include "cousin carrying plastic bag" in Don't be a Menace to South Central while Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, 'nuff said...) here he handles the foil of Ben Affleck's necessarily flack-like performance with real aplomb as the put-upon PA. He has behind the fluff a serious look that would lend well to comedy and/or drama. Bet we'll see more of him.The treatment lends to being real handled with verve and vigor: covering the gamut from farce to bathos - and for my money hit a surprising number of home runs. Ben Affleck - a man driven to the point of desperation, and reconnection gives a deceptively light performance: I would have to say they are some awesome skills going into this - sometime he makes it look too easy, too, what's the word, smiley ?, but it is nicely played. It is his most mature role to date and he handles this tale of a man discovering his true values and maturity with a measured casualness. On filming: I found the approach to filming itself more complex than I expected the lighting and sound are both clever and discrete; and it is well lit. Obviously style and architecture and the LA dream are nicely displayed: great design. The office really looks right, down to the door handles.The editing makes good sense and keeps the pace in a natural story that jumps pace and genre : and there are some shots with lifts that are unique (!) and worth checking out for that reason alone.It is funny particularly good on the visual jokes, but not overly crude, but It also moved me to tears four times - no mean feat - and my wife even more.Mike Binder, who both wrote and directed this, is getting really close to having a real hit - I sense a director ready to take on a big star, and big themes and fly with them. Overall, I enjoyed this tremendously and would say: more like it please. It is kind of familiar territory and many critics will point to it as too mixed up to be clear: but I would argue that the theme of redemption is clearer than the lax comic relief that occasionally surfaces -- and the silliness is light relief and flows out of the plot.This film about a film executive who caught the success train early and now feels the baggage carriage rocketing up fast could itself be difficult to categorize as comedy romance drama etc; and that may be a weakness in marketing, but it is a strength in the telling: I found it a very rounded experience. Who wouldn't want to find films that touch the soul and here we have.Worth the rental (And a release - This should be a release with real marketing values - right?) -- yup and how.
"I look like Tom Cruise's retarded cousin!"
posted on 17 Dec 2008Caught this during Showtime's free-view as the first of what (I hope) was an unintentional Ben Affleck Marathon, as this stinker was followed by another stinker (The Third Wheel), then one more for sh*ts and giggles (Reindeer Games). Why a Lifetime Razzie has so far eluded Benjy's talentless clutches is beyond me! As one of the posters said, just when you think he can't sink any lower, he does!You'd think Jack A-Hole would figure out how his minions REALLY think of him when they haul him to that dentist! Au contraire! After beating the crap out of the guy who beat the crap out of him, he goes back to the SAME DENTIST when he should be hauling the clown into court for making him look like Tom Cruise's retarded cousin! And some people wonder why this turkey was shelved for 2 years!The female characters are even more loathsome than their male counterparts. Barbi is a Dragon Lady racist cliché! And like the rotten cherry on top, Mrs. Jack A-Hole and Dragon Lady duke it out in one room over his precious journal while the wife of a client he is desperate to land insists on aping Sharon Stone in another room while his Top Client (over whom Jack A-Hole kicked Mrs. Jack A-Hole out of the house) drops in to beg forgiveness! That whirring sound you hear is Preston Sturges spinning in his grave!So who winds up running things after Mr. and Mrs. Jack A-Hole kiss and make up in the fish tank? (I kid you not!) Why, the token lesbian of course, who has more cojones in her pinkie than all the men in the movie put together! 'Nuff said!
decent affleck flick
posted on 13 Dec 2008To start, Im a bit biased when it comes to Afflecks limited acting abilities. In Good Will Hunting he didn't come up to scratch, in Gigli he was a complete disaster, much like the entire Gigli movie, a train wreck.Watching to see how much worse he could be I was impressed from the start, his voice and acting has improved but not by much. The movie is above average, hence my 6.Affleck must have worked a fair bit to get his acting up to a decent level and it shows here. John Cleese had me amused from the start with a 3 minute lecture for his class (which was most likely scheduled for at least a 40 minute session), Romjin (Affleck's wife here) is his wife, making Ben's marriage and his almost workahlic lifestyle problematic.Ben's character here is similar to other roles he has tried to play, where he thinks he's better than everyone around him (which is irritating), his manner is the same, his tone of voice doesn't change where required (if at all), nor does how he expresses his character which seems to be the same as other movies he's starred.There is definitely an improvement in his acting for this film, I will be hoping for more in his next role.
Ben Affleck - one helluva guy!
posted on 23 Nov 2008This is the Ben Affleck that I like. He's the average man. When asked if he completed college in one scene, he replies 'Community College, two years.' Of course, he's fantastically rich - not bad for a guy from Community College, and all of this in the dog-eat-dog world of the L.A. entertainment industry. This is the Ben Afflect I like!He's handsome, yes. He's got a gorgeous wife (who cheated on him) and a Dad who is loopy (from having had a stroke) and clients who threaten to leave him and do and people who try to blackmail him. He's just juggling all the balls, dealing with it all one crisis at a time. A lot of what he does is contradictory. The movie is often narrated with entries in his journal. He thinks that he has lost his nerve and his drive. Yet the first thing that he does in the movie is toss his wife out of the house for her infidelity. Without a moment's hesitation. This is what Ben Afflect does really well in a movie: he plays a character who has ambition but a humble background. He contradicts himself by acting contrary to his beliefs, he attempts to redeem himself. And all the while, the audience can see the machinations of his very average brain trying to makes sense of it all. Because he's basically charming and has screen presence and yes, acting ability, you sort of think along with him and find that you are having a hard time making sense of it too!But aside from the average intelligence trying to solve a difficult question, there's a lot of emotion, too, and his average brain can't decide whether that is a help or a hindrance.I thought the movie was entertaining, a little slow in parts, surprisingly funny (I laughed out loud several times which hardly makes it a great comedy but it kept me watching!)Rebecca Romijn doesn't have to do much in a picture but look gorgeous. She acted well but her beauty actually gets in the way - it's distracting.Ben made a similar movie with Gwyneth Paltrow - 'Bounce' that I have watched several times and each time, I think it gets better with the re-watching.
moral of this movie is wrong?
posted on 20 Oct 2008First of all I am sorry for my poor English, I just want to say that the moral of this movie is just wrong, I would say stupid, the wife betrays her husband and he "cuckold" forgives her easily... No way, this is not real, so what is the moral then, I could not understand, I like Ben Affleck and enjoyed some parts of the movie where he says about his family and his father, these parts are good and makes people to think, moreover the movie is full of funny stories, however, the main idea and subject is totally wrong and this movie may cause some wives to betray their husbands, thinking their husbands will forgive them?! This movie can destroy normal families, I would not recommend to see it, it may mislead one, These are my opinion and I would glad to have any comments from you, my e-mail is: murod2000@yahoo.com sorry if I said something wrong and wish you and your families all the best... Best regards, Murodkhon
A worthwhile drama
posted on 10 Sep 2008My expectations for this movie were pretty low. Ben Affleck's resume is very much hit and miss, with the misses being sometimes being of epic proportion. As well, I had seen two recent movies by director Mike Bender (Upside of Anger and Reign over Me) which certainly did not live up to praises and high ratings they received. It was thus with skepticism that I decided to kill time watching Man About Town, expecting a total dud. I was proved wrong.Much like its successor Reign Over Me, the main character here is going through issues and everything is rather organic and poignantly directed, contrary to the usual remote third person view employed in "safer" Hollywood work. There are some light comedic moments here but what makes them work is how human and heartfelt the struggles are depicted. And while Ben Affleck will never be the second coming of a Ed Norton or Anthony Hopkins, here he gives a very honest and balanced performance and we cannot help but sympathize with this character caught in the artificial life of Los Angeles and talent agencies.If anything, one plot tread about his book takes perhaps too much importance in what is otherwise a sober treatment of character and the issues he has to deal with in his personal and professional life. The entire cast is extremely good and was well chosen, although it does feel like they could have done more with John Cleese. One exception: I really felt Bai Ling was off in her performance.Overall, this is a very enjoyable movie with a satisfying conclusion instead of the usual eye-rolling fest with the easy way out.
Absolutely Atrocious
posted on 04 Jul 2008Just when you think Affleck can't get any worse, he, and his movie choices do just that...reliably so.It is hard to believe that someone with an academy award for screen writing (undeserved, boogie nights deserved it)can't select even a halfway decent script when it arrives for him. Or maybe people simply aren't sending him any good scripts because they have realized he cannot act.Regardless, I cannot in good conscience give a full review of this film, since it was so horrid that i turned it off 40 minutes in to watch Meerkat Manor...because it has better acting and a better story.chalk up another disaster for Affleck, a man who has dropped more bombs than the air force.I really do not know what else to say...avoid it if you can...the theaters sure did.
Worst movie... ever.
posted on 02 Jul 2008This is the single worst film ever made. Please do not see it.The problems with this film are principally with the writing, directing, acting and editing.Of these problems, though, the writing and directing are the most serious. This movie is narrated and even with this hackneyed device it makes almost no sense at all. The plot is paper-thin and there is no character development at all. The dialogue sounds as if it had been written by someone who'd once been told about human interaction but hadn't ever experienced it.The direction is sloppy and underscores the fundamental lack of identity this film suffers from. It's neither comedy, nor drama. The "jokes" (THAT teeth gag) are old and flimsy and the drama (really ugly violence) is completely out of character and largely non-sensical.I can't go on as it's making me angry, again. I want my time back. This movie is an insult to the medium.
Ben, oh Ben
posted on 16 Jun 2008A movie about thinking about yourself? How exhilarating for the viewer. Well its not only about that. After all, John Cleese is also in the movie. However his role is more limited compared to Affleck. And that isn't always a good thing.Anyway, Affleck starts attending a class to see who he really is. And while he is there, all sorts of wild things start happening. A woman gains his class notes and tries to blackmail him. He discovers his wife has been cheating on him, but is wanting to stay with him, and he is fighting a legal case to keep his company afloat. And oh yeah, he was robbed.Despite all the craziness, Ben tries to stay sane. Dad is going crazy and talking to fish, and John Cleese wants something written down for class. It all ends somewhat on a good note and thats all I can really give it.Not Affleck's best performance, but what can you get anyway? "C+"
no wonder I have never heard of this movie before...
posted on 25 Apr 2008seeing it on cable. It was not very good. It's not really funny nor is it very entertaining. Ben Affleck is back to making the same boring, bad acting films. Rebecca Romijn still looks good for her age but still has little screen presence. If she wants to act, she should stick to TV roles. Ling Bai was OK, she offers what little humor there is. Also, as for the story, I don't buy that some fairly young, good looking guy with a high powered job would be just OK with his hot wife cheating on him with a client. He wouldn't just take her back.FINAL VERDICT: Just another Ben Affleck disappointment. There's nothing in this film really worth watching.
I guess to appreciate this movie you have to have some maturity
posted on 22 Jan 2008While not a perfect film nor extraordinarily acted(by supporting cast), both Affleck and Romijn inject humanity into their characters. and John Cleese as the prof. was a nice touch. I think people need to cut Affleck a little more slack, this proves he can act against type and pull it off. The story was well paced and interesting enough, however they did not really use the supporting cast as well as I was expecting his on screen coworkers while not A-Listers are known actors who needed some more screen time and poor Kal Penn yet another film where all he really gets to do is look nervous/intrigued give the man some dialog(unfortunately that comment is also directed at Bryan singer). The exception was Howard Hessemen as the Afflecks post stroke dad he was great.
Awful TV-Grade tripe
posted on 27 Dec 2007As an actor Mike Binder isn't much. But at a director he rides the crest of sappiness and uses only what he can borrow from the well of older movies. I've never seen a writer-director so incapable of coming up with something new. At best he's a mediocre TV director."Man about Town" is about a guy who works too much and eventually learns that he needs to spend time with his family. Woo, there's a plot. Affleck, normally decent, sleepwalks through the role. Romjin, normally hot and exciting, is listless and dull. The rest of the cast are throwaways (except Hesse, who could have had more screen time)..But it's the story - or lack thereof - that makes this a waste. There's no real explanation of anyone's motives and you never really find anything out. The story builds to various climaxes which are suddenly diffused in order to continue towards the end - as if the director was ready to resolve something but needed more time. Nasty violence happens out of the blue and out of character.The point seems to be to get Affleck to realize that he loves his wife and can forgive her adultery. Along the way comic relief is offered grade-B 1950s style: people standing in corners have doors slammed in their faces; phone conversations happen where A is talking to B but C thinks A is talking to him so; characters yell and posture about things that come into their heads separate from any storyline ......Presumably Binder had a sense of all this and so resorts to the laziest trick: it's narrated throughout. You can't follow it anyway but if you fast-forward (as you want to) you lose any possible sense of continuity that the worthless narration (Affleck reading his journal) might give.All in all, a complete waste of time: no laughs, no love, no drama, no eurekas. Nada.
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Beautiful
posted on 26 Aug 2009I really loved this movie. It's light although touching, it's funny but also sad, its comedy and drama, all at the same time. This gives me a rare opportunity to see a "feel good movie" that touches and fills me with spontaneous laughs. I don't like comedy's much, they often seem too easy to predict, and you know you are suppose to laugh. In this movie it comes naturally.The acting was good, not magical, although the teacher was phenomenal… as always.See this movie and forget your worries for an hour and a half. Enjoy!!!