“American Splendor” Directed by Shari
Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini Fine Line Features
If this year’s disappointments “Daredevil” and
“Hulk” are any indication, comic-book adaptations for
the big screen have lately failed to capture the true essence of
the original comic book.Â
Constructed with ingenuity and inventiveness, the new film
“American Splendor” should help to subside fears of
comic book adaptations gone wrong.
The film tells the story of Harvey Pekar, a working-class
Everyman who finds solace in writing about his daily misgivings in
comic books.
Previously known for their work in documentaries such as
“Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen’s,” the
filmmaking team of Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman
transpose their documentary skills onto this narrative film to
create a truly original biopic.
Many biopics such as Michael Mann’s “Ali” and
Milos Foreman’s “Man on the Moon” often fail to
illustrate the complete nature of their subjects by limiting
themselves to recreating events. Berman and Pulcini have fun with
the medium, creatively integrating animation and documentary
footage of the real Harvey Pekar to reveal the inner-workings of a
complex man.
But perhaps the best decision of Pulcini and Berman was the
casting of Paul Giamatti as the lead. Made famous by his role in
“Private Parts,” Giamatti earned a reputation in
Hollywood as merely a character actor, incapable of carrying a
film. The film provides Giamatti with an opportunity to silence his
skeptics and showcase his comedic and dramatic skills. Like
everything else in this film, Giamatti does not fail in his adept
portrayal.
-Pete Flores