American Splendor
dir. Shari Springer Bergman, Robert Pulcini
Shari Springer Bergman and Robert Pulcini's offbeat American Splendor is one of the most involving film about ordinary, undynamic people I've seen in recent years. It slowly draws us into the mundane life of file clerk Harvey Pekar, perfectly characterised by Paul Giametti. A man with a seemingly uninteresting life, he meets soon-to-be-legendary artist Robert Crumb and together they realise that even his ordinary existence can be the stuff of legend. Their comic book collaboration American Splendor succeeds in the same way this film does: Harvey becomes a superhero for everyone, his neverendingly miserable look on life and bouts of curmudgeonly rage substituted for superpowers. With the entrance of Harvey's muse Joyce Brabner (wonderfully played by Hope Davis), a woman who inexplicably understands and connects with Harvey's look on life while at the same time existing on her own quirky plane, and Harvey's bout with cancer, the film is sweet, engaging and powerful in its own unique way. All the time, the film is fused with footage of the real Pekar (who also serves as narrator) and Brabner, not only to show us that the performances are surprisingly close to reality (Judah Friedlander's portrayal of uber-nerd Toby is shockingly exact, we discover) but also to continue the theme of the comic book itself, an artistic representation of real life. The whole style of the film is refreshingly different while remaining true to the source. A wonderful achievement.
**** 1/2