test_specimen
hope lost
- Joined
- May 20, 2002
- Messages
- 2,200
Though it was released in the US over a year ago, it takes some time for a good movie produced in the US to get over to Europe (except for the various film festivals we have) - unfortunately the mass of bad movies has no problem with making a release only some weeks after they premiered in the US.
Nevertheless I want to recommend American Splendor, a movie about comic book author Harvey Pekar to everyone who hasn't seen it yet, if only for the reason that this is one of the few comic book movies that has a complex and enjoyable story and lacks all the CGI.
The main character, Harvey Pekar, is a misanthropist and pessimist; life for him sucks - and it really does. He has a minimum wage job as a file clerk, collects comics and records which he stores in his hopelessly messy appartment. He wants to draw comics, but doesn't get farther than stick men. Fortunately he meets Robert Crumb (Fritz the Cat) and starts collaborating with him, writing the stories while Crumb does the illustrations. All or most of his stories are about his miserable life, his co-workers and everyday situations.
I can't tell you more about it, without giving away too much of the story or the jokes within the story, but I sincerely recommend the film since this year has been a very weak film year so far.
What's so likeable about it is, that the deep pessimism of the main character signifies the exact opposite: he wants a happy ending, he just doesn't want to have high expectations dissappointed. So by assuming the worst he is a winner in both situations: In the case of a happy ending he has the happy ending, in the case of the worst he was at least right. Unfortunately this also works the other way round: he can never be happy since a happy ending would dissappoint him and a non-happy ending.... well, it's not happy.
I'm very bad at writing about it, so just see for yourself.
Nevertheless I want to recommend American Splendor, a movie about comic book author Harvey Pekar to everyone who hasn't seen it yet, if only for the reason that this is one of the few comic book movies that has a complex and enjoyable story and lacks all the CGI.
The main character, Harvey Pekar, is a misanthropist and pessimist; life for him sucks - and it really does. He has a minimum wage job as a file clerk, collects comics and records which he stores in his hopelessly messy appartment. He wants to draw comics, but doesn't get farther than stick men. Fortunately he meets Robert Crumb (Fritz the Cat) and starts collaborating with him, writing the stories while Crumb does the illustrations. All or most of his stories are about his miserable life, his co-workers and everyday situations.
I can't tell you more about it, without giving away too much of the story or the jokes within the story, but I sincerely recommend the film since this year has been a very weak film year so far.
What's so likeable about it is, that the deep pessimism of the main character signifies the exact opposite: he wants a happy ending, he just doesn't want to have high expectations dissappointed. So by assuming the worst he is a winner in both situations: In the case of a happy ending he has the happy ending, in the case of the worst he was at least right. Unfortunately this also works the other way round: he can never be happy since a happy ending would dissappoint him and a non-happy ending.... well, it's not happy.
I'm very bad at writing about it, so just see for yourself.
