American Splendor has opened up to rave reviews; the majority of critics
have called it an instant classic. While I do not understand where they’re
coming from, I cannot deny that it offers a great time, even if it isn’t a
great movie. A thoroughly amusing picture, this one perfectly combines
fabulous acting, stylish direction, and a witty and comedic script. Before
viewing American Splendor I knew little about Harvey Pekar and
even less about his comic book, but this only made it more enjoyable. Fans of
Pekar’s comic book, “American Splendor,” liked it because it was fresh,
unique, and breezy to read. I like this film because it is fresh, unique, and
breezy to view. Finally, I’ve found a comic book movie that doesn’t involve
any big, green monsters, grown men who have the power to shoot spider-webs out
of their wrists, or mutants in a school that teaches them how to become touch
with their powers. American Splendor is certainly the year’s
biggest delight
For those of you who don’t have any prior knowledge
on the topic, the comic book “American Splendor,” was written by Pekar (played
by both himself and Paul Giamatti in this movie), comically chronicling
everyday events in his life. For thirty years, he had a job as a file clerk at
a
Cleveland hospital. Even when his comic book
began to sell, Pekar was never financially able to quit his day-job. Part
obsessive/compulsive, part control-freak, and part hopeless, his daily
adventures always intrigued readers. American Splendor is a
scrumptious showcase of all of the small journeys that Pekar embarked on
during the prime part of his life.
The highlighting moments of American
Splendor are when the filmmakers merge clips of Giamatti acting and real
footage of Pekar, together. Through these, directors Shari Springer Berman and
Robert Pulcini and producer Ted Hope prove to us that their work is as
technically savvy as it is entertaining. It’s also amazing to observe how
accurate Giamatti’s portrayal of the real Pekar is. The transitions from acted
scenes to real footage are definitely noticeable, but succeed, from a creative
standpoint. The reason why they work is simple. Pekar was illustrated by many
different artists in his comic books. Each of these men drew him a different
way. When viewing American Splendor, we are supposed to feel like
we’re looking at the actual comic book. During the transitions, it seems as
though the “illustrator of the movie” has changed; we’re merely looking at a
new issue of the comic. The appearance of the character Harvey Pekar has
changed, but his personality has not. Giamatti clearly studied everything
about Pekar, prior to acting in this film. His performance is of
Oscar-quality.
More tremendous acting comes from Hope Davis (who
was also great as the high-strung daughter in last year’s About
Schmidt).
Davis plays off Giamatti’s character
beautifully; her work in American Splendor is darkly funny and
spectacularly interesting. Every single supporting performer in this movie is
superb. The reason why this movie is so fascinating is because of the way
Pekar interacts with all of the crazy, bubbly personalities that he
encounters. This film, really, makes me want to read a few issues of his comic
book and graphic novel.
While it is one of the best movies of the year,
American Splendor does not contain any groundbreaking material.
It offers a great time and is very accomplished, though. Everyone on this
project took risks (the directors’, writers’, producer’s, cast’s, and editor’s
work is extremely effective). Aside from a few fictitious elements, this
really is the true story of Pekar’s life, too. American Splendor
is definitely a movie to see; audiences of all sorts will be able to enjoy it.
Now I just have to work on getting the comic book geeks to buy tickets to it.
It’s amusing how most of them are resisting my recommendation, because this
one really shows us what underground comics are all about. It’s the most
enthralling picture I’ve seen all year.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews