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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The husband and wife directing/writing duo of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini are bringing to 2010 one of my most anticipated movies in, The Extra Man. I saw somewhere over 40 promo reels of upcoming 2009 and 2010 titles and of those The Extra Man which was shot in and around New York stood out by far as one to mark down as a must see. It was quirky, outrageous, dark, compelling, hilarious and touching all in the span of its nearly 10 minute or so promo reel. It was so damn good I wish they had just played the entire movie and it left me in anguish that I’d have to wait well over a year to see it. Not to mention Paul Dano (what a roll he has been on of late and amazing picks for movie projects!) and its ensemble cast of Kevin Kline, Katie Holmes, John C. Reilly and more all seem to be in better than top form and completely into their roles here. The story from a novel of same name by Jonathan Ames doesn’t look on paper like an easy one to translate to the big screen but just like they did with their 2003 movie American Splendor starring Paul Giamatti, this directing team seems to have a knack for bringing edgy tales to life with humanity, a rich universe for the characters to breath in and a certain brisk compelling intellect that all combines to leave you wanting more. On paper this might seem too fleeting as a coming of age semi-fantasy fish out of water tale, but I can tell you the difference here is how they bring this one to life on screen and have the right cast to portray its characters that makes it as one to mark down right now as a must see 2010 movie.
I have to imagine if this movie starts to test screen this year they might realize the cinematic gold they have on their hands and just maybe might try and do a December 2009 release with an intent to get in this years Oscar race. Though I’m not sure yet if anyone has picked up distribution for North America yet so we will have to see how that plays out.
Synopsis:
A sophisticated and moving comedy, THE EXTRA MAN follows Louis Ives (Paul Dano), a lonely dreamer who fancies himself the hero of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel…
When a deeply embarrassing incident forces him to leave his job at an exclusive Princeton prep school, Louis heads to New York City to make a fresh start. He quickly finds a nine-to-five job at an environmental magazine, where he encounters an entrancing, green-obsessed co-worker Mary (Katie Holmes). But it’s Louis’ new home life that really sparks his imagination. He rents a room in the ramshackle apartment of Henry Harrison (Kevin Kline), a penniless, wildly eccentric but brilliant playwright.
When Henry’s not dancing alone to obscure music or singing operettas, he’s performing – with great panache – the duties of an “extra man“, a social escort for the wealthy widows of Manhattan high society.
These two men, separated in age by more than forty years, develop a volatile mentor/apprentice relationship. Through a series of urban adventures where they encounter everything from a leaping lion to a wildly jealous hirsute neighbor, from drunken nonagenarians to a shady Swiss hunchback, Louis and Henry form a memorable bond that bridges their differences.
