Television Show Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 8 created by Larry David (HBO Films)

Starring Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, and Susie Essman.

The Arid Wasteland of Network Television 

Seinfeld is brilliant television. Now fourteen years removed from the last episode, Seinfeld receives regular air time on multiple channels. Its staying power is uncanny. Seinfeld’s jokes and awkward situations are countlessly retold in friend groups nationwide.

In all honesty, I am surprised at Seinfeld’s staying power. With quirky writing a shade toward highbrow, I find Seinfeld’s stay on network television remarkable. The 2000s, to an extent, represent a failure of mimicry. Even though the networks endlessly search for the next smart hit comedy, the drive for profits and viewership causes plugs to be pulled. Notably, Arrested Development seemed like a show closest to carrying the Seinfeld mantle, but it lasted only three seasons.

Why did Seinfeld make it? I have no clue. But the fact that the show succeeded despite its quirkiness is laudatory.

Interestingly, with the arid wasteland of network television consuming pilot after pilot, cable television has emerged as an avenue for well-crafted television. Without the burden of high viewership requirements, cable shows realize success marketing toward a smaller target audience.

Given Larry David’s history as the co-creator of Seinfeld and his successful run on HBO with Curb Your Enthusiasm, the inevitable question arises: which David-inspired show is better?

Faux Reality Television Meets a Sit-Com 

For those unaware, Curb Your Enthusiasm follows Larry David as himself, Larry David. Somewhere between a faux reality television series and a sit-com, Larry David navigates an easy post-Seinfeld life. Flush with royalties from syndication, Larry is free to pursue and invest in anything.

Spending most of his days in the company of his agent, Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin), Larry meanders into comedic situations through his incessant need for proper behavior. If you double park, watch out because Larry David will get you. If you want Larry to serve at a benefit for Children’s Hospital, expect a lame excuse.

In fact, this very scenario in Season 8 forces Larry to a 3-month sabbatical in New York City. Instead of a Saturday hanging out with sick children, Larry David would rather rent a lavish apartment in Manhattan for 3 months.



Much like Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm possesses no major plotline. Each episode explores a humorous topic and usually features a guest star. This year’s highlight episodes include Larry and Rosie O’Donnell competing over a bi-sexual girlfriend, Bill Buckner illustrating his butterfingers, and a feud between Larry and Michael J. Fox where the two bicker regarding the merits of Parkinson’s disease fasciculation.

In Praise of Seinfeld 

Curb Your Enthusiasm is hilarious. Since Season One, Larry David has manufactured brilliance season after season. I highly recommend it. However, David’s work with Curb Your Enthusiasm impresses me less than his work with Seinfeld.

For starters, HBO allows David to shock in ways the FCC would never permit on network television. The salty language and adult topics, in all honesty, make for easier humor. When all else fails, swear and sex!

Additionally, the premium nature of HBO gives Curb Your Enthusiasm a longer leash. I didn’t start watching the show until Season Four and I assume there are many like me who jumped into the back catalog through Netflix. Had this show required a large audience quickly, I doubt it would have survived.

For this reason, I am still floored with Seinfeld. The show beat the odds and now exists as the bedrock of American culture. Is Curb Your Enthusiasm less funny than Seinfeld? I think they are equally funny, in truth. I just find Seinfeld the more impressive show given all the variables.

Having spent some time comparing these two shows, let me end by saying Curb Your Enthusiasm is worth your time. It’s a brilliant show for fans of Seinfeld or awkward humor—think The Office. If you’re looking to rent a television series over the summer, check out Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

What about you? Are you a fan of Seinfeld? How do you think it compares to Curb Your Enthusiasm?
Share your thoughts below.

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Posted by: Donovan Richards

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Amazon

Television Show Review: Spy

Spy: Series One created by Simeon Goulden (Hat Trick Productions, 2011.)

Starring Darren Boyd, Jude Wright, and Robert Lindsay.

Same Old Story

You’ve assuredly heard the story before. Man gets divorced, wife hates him, and son has the sarcastic and sardonic wit of a 45 year-old. He works a dead end job at a computer store, all the while unaware that he is a failure. Or, maybe you haven’t heard the story.

Created by writer Simeon Goulden, Spy is a new brand of television. It was created explicitly to be aired on the BBC digital-only channel, Sky 1. The resulting Hulu release in America is the American response to the innovation. 

Silly Spy Spoof

The basic premise of the television series is that of a silly spy spoof. Tim (Darren Boyd) is a single father that has a semi-evil and brilliant son named Marcus (Jude Wright). Tim is fairly boring, and has a penchant for Sudoku puzzles. 

Tim, an under-achieving divorcee, accidentally stumbles into a job with MI5 after going to the job center. Now with the ability to hold a gun and be a part of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Tim is suddenly insidiously  cool. What’s more, his boss (Robert Lindsay), completely unhinged from reality, reminds the viewer of the guy from the Dos Equis commercials.

Misfortune and Absurdity

Tim’s best friend, Chris (Matthew Baynton) is the only one in the “outside world” who knows of Tim’s accidental fortune in taking a job at MI-5. So, sadly, Tim is unable to tell his son Marcus of his cool job. He has to deal with his son at home, who constantly judges Tim for his poor intellect, lack of financial fortune, and lack of quality employ.  

For further misfortune, Tim has to meet up with Marcus, his former wife Judith (Dolly Wells), and her new partner Philip (Tom Goodman-Hill), who is the headmaster of the school Marcus attends, for frequent counseling sessions. Philip, for some strange reason, absolutely loves hugging Tim in a far-too-close-for-comfort sort of a way. The therapist, Paula (Rosie Cavaliero) has also developed a major crush on Tim in stalker-like fashion.

With total absurdity, the show doesn’t disappoint. Lindsay is absolutely hilarious as the boss, and Jude Wright plays a great demonic mastermind of a son. The whole show is a delight to watch, which only shows that absurd British wit will always entertain. The good news is BCC has renewed Spy for a second series, as well as a Christmas special.  I recommend you check Spy out very soon.

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5
What do you think? Do you enjoy the series? Why? Share your thoughts below.
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Posted by: Andrew Jacobson

Affiliate Links: Hulu.com

Film Review: The Five-Year Engagement

The Five-Year Engagement directed by Nicholas Stoller (Apatow Productions, R, 124 minutes)

Starring Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, and Alison Brie.

What Makes Something Good? 

Is a hot wing tasty if it is sufficiently spicy? Is a murder mystery novel good so long as the murder is mysterious? Is a comedy good if it’s funny?

My inability to answer this last question perfectly summarizes my thoughts on The Five-Year Engagement. Billed as a comedy, the movie executes; it is extremely funny. But is it good? I wish I knew.

Another Romantic Comedy 

As a story, The Five-Year Engagement arises from the romantic comedy cookie-cutter-plotline:

1. Couple meets. 
2. Couple experiences good times. 
3. Couple hits a rough patch.
4. Couple works everything out. 

In fact, on our way to theater, I mentioned to my wife, Tara, how we already knew the storyline since these movies fit the same mold consistently and without fail.

The High Point 

The Five-Year Engagement begins with the apogee of the relationship between Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) and Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt) on a clear night in San Francisco. Somewhat awkwardly, Tom proposes to Violet on the one-year anniversary of their first meeting.

Upon affirmation of the proposal, the couple begins planning a wedding, only to find external circumstances push back the plans.

Tom’s best friend, Alex (Chris Pratt), impregnates and then marries Violet’s sister, Suzie (Alison). After canceling plans to accommodate the shotgun wedding, Violet receives word of her acceptance to the psychology program at the University of Michigan.

Admitting the discord a similar long-distance move for professional reasons conjured in her parent’s relationship, Violet worries how such a move will alter her relationship with Tom.

The Low Point 

A sous chef and an emerging talent in the culinary industry, Tom isn’t thrilled with the move but recognizes the immense value of Violet’s opportunity. He also figures many culinary jobs will exist in Michigan.

While quitting his job, Tom’s plans begin to sour when he learns he was in line to become executive chef at a new fine dining restaurant. Nevertheless, Tom remains true to his word and ventures north to the land of ice and snow and no fine dining.

As Violet’s job blossoms on the campus of Michigan, Tom’s quality of life plummets as he recedes into a dead-end job. Tom and Violet’s relationship, in turn, begins to exhibit cracks.



The Five-Year Engagement then proceeds to unfold much like every other high-budget romantic comedy.

Does a Comedy Need Anything Beyond Humor? 

So is The Five-Year Engagement a good movie? I’m not sure. It is very funny. I found myself laughing at dialogue on a minute-by-minute basis. But, my mind also thrives on uniquely engaging stories. Sadly, The Five-Year Engagement utilizes story as a method of joke telling instead of story as an intrinsic good.

My favorite comedies mix humor with inventive storytelling. I loved Little Miss Sunshine not only for the humor but also for the inventive plot and complex characters. The Five-Year Engagement, on the other hand, only succeeds at a surface level. For all intents and purposes, the story in The Five-Year Engagement is meaningless.

Even though the movie entertained, I find it hard to give The Five-Year Engagement high grades. If you want to laugh for a couple hours, check it out, but don’t expect any depth.

Verdict: 3 out of 5

How do you like your comedies? Are jokes enough or do you need a story?
Share your thoughts below.

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Posted by: Donovan Richards

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Amazon

Television Show Review: Whites

Whites directed by David Kerr (British Broadcasting Corporation. 2010)

Starring Alan Davies, Darren Boyd, and Katherine Parkinson.

Celebrity Chefdom

In a world where Gordon Ramsay rules, Anthony Bourdain sarcastically entertains, and celebrity chefdom somehow continues to rise, it was only a matter of time before a comedy in the culinary world would emerge to please the masses. I was thrilled to see Whites arrive. But, I was equally as disappointed to see it quickly vanish, cancelled after one season.

Based in Reality

Roland White (Alan Davies) had a seemingly promising career ahead of him. Alas, he is now a past-his-prime chef in a dead-end restaurant, at the White House Hotel. Roland is a gifted-but-lazy chef. The show’s writer, Matt King, used his experience in the kitchen to form the premise for the television series. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, King states,

“Whites is totally based on Hanbury Manor, where I worked. It’s a facsimile. Roland is a composite of several chefs I know who can’t be bothered any more. They’ve kind of missed the boat, missed out on Michelin stars and cruise along.”

Interestingly, because of Matt King’s background, the entire cast trained at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen in order to adequately play their roles in a proper culinary fashion. 

Recounting the Tale

In the first episode, we find Roland meagerly sitting in his office writing his “poignant” autobiography while watching his sous chef, Bib (Darren Boyd), flounder in his attempts to keep the busy kitchen afloat. 

Roland, finally noting Bib’s inability to survive the hectic kitchen alone, allows Bib to hire another line cook, named Skoose (Stephen Wright). The only problem is, Skoose vocally covets Bib’s job, as he intends to be a head chef of his own restaurant in only four years.

Time to Develop

What ensues is restaurant hilarity. But, the series was cancelled after only a year. It was not cancelled due to disinterest, but rather because BBC couldn’t secure the money to run the show for a second season. Unfortunately, Whites needed time to develop its characters, a notion writer Matt King laments.

“In our minds, it was a getting-to-know-our-characters series. It’s not a lot of time to explore seven characters. It was always, ‘We’ve set up this world, with series two everyone knows the characters and we’ll explore it from there’.”

Series two could have developed plot after the world was set up, an unfortunate consequence of really taking time to introduce the characters. Series one is a bit slow, but it’s just as funny. With equal parts sarcasm, wit, and slapstick comedy, I found Whites to be hilarious and entertaining. Though the show is cancelled, I think it still entertains. The world needs a chef comedy to interact with the Anthony Bourdains and Gordon Ramsays of the world, it’s sad that this one found its end.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

Have you seen Whites? Did you enjoy it? Are you sad it's been cancelled? Share your thoughts below.
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Posted by: Andrew Jacobson


Affiliate Links:  Amazon.com

Film Review: Visioneers

Visioneers directed by Jared Drake (Fireside Film and Mayfly Films, R, 94 minutes)

Starring Zach Galifianakis, Judy Greer, and Mía Maestro.

Absurdity

Since the birth of existentialism, absurdity has worked as a delightful comedic medium. In low brow settings, Monty Python (let’s not fool ourselves, the troupe is brilliant despite their silly sketches) explores absurdity when is depicts a couple of safari men performing the fish slapping dance. On the other side of the spectrum, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is a play that portrays two men with minute attention spans waiting for God.

In both instances, the writer finds comedy in the absurdities of life. When considered deeply, life contains many strange and downright silly aspects. In a similar vein, Jared Drake’s Visioneers explores the absurdity of the modern lifestyle.

The Jeffers Corporation and Stress Explosions

Set in the near future, Visioneers follows the life of George Washington Winsterhammerman (Zach Galifianakis), a descendent of George Washington and a Level Three employee at the Jeffers Corporation. Led by Mr. Jeffers, the Jeffers Corporation is the largest business in the history of humanity and it effectively controls the United States.

Ever the company man, George manages a small staff to the peak of efficiency in Tayloresque fashion. One day, however, this mundane existence takes a turn for the worse when George learns that one of his employees literally exploded on his way to work. Later that evening, the news ticker announces that hundreds of thousands of Americans suffered from the same fate.

Word trickles out that these explosion victims all carried symptoms of dreams, unhappiness, overeating, and impotence. Realizing that he possesses these indicators, George worries that he might explode as well. Searching for answers to this explosion problem, the Jeffers Corporation develops a depression inhibitor that guarantees the happiness of society. With the president in the corporation’s pocket, the company requires U.S. citizens to wear the device for their own safety.

Chaos and the Middle Finger

Throughout the movie, George seeks answers to his existential problems. With clear references to Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Visioneers explores the absurdity of modern life and the pursuit of happiness.

The best scenes of the movie occur in the office, where company policy and culture are ridiculously enacted. Hilariously, to politely greet someone, one must give them the middle finger. Also, society pronounces chaos as “chay-oss”. When one of George’s employees arrives at work, he gives George the middle finger greeting and then puts a gun to his head Russian-roulette-style – as ordered by his therapist – to ensure that he is still alive.

While the office sequences brilliantly portray absurdity, the main plot line is simply pedestrian. With George searching for meaning, he questions his safe and boring life pursuing opportunities that provide danger and intrigue.

Despite its flaws, Visioneers is entertaining and darkly comedic. Although it is nowhere near the quality of Waiting for Godot, I appreciated the movie’s homage to Beckett’s classic work. Zach Galifianakis performs admirably in his role and his acting supports the film in the places where the writing falls flat. All in all, I recommend Visioneers for those interested in the comedy of the absurd.

Verdict: 3.5 out of 5

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Donovan Richards is a University of Washington undergraduate alumnus from 2008, graduating with a BA in Philosophy. He is also a graduate of the inaugural Seattle Pacific University School of Theology graduate program class of 2009 as an MA student in Business and Theology. He is a huge fan of music, books, and movies. You can reach him via email at lemurfarmer@gmail.com.