Second Best

I enjoyed "Second Best" greatly. It is a deftly-constructed study of a group of old friends, with the emphasis on the character Elliot (Joe Pantoliano). Elliot thinks of himself as a loser, especially by contrast with his old friend Richard, who's got it all--the beautiful wife, tons of money, memberships in the best country clubs, great looks. He can't help but confront his friends with their own failings, as well as his own. But when the chips are down, it's Elliot who comes through as a real mensch, a good guy in the most important ways, and the film leaves you with the sense that in every important respect Elliot is not "second best" at all. He is the true hero of the movie, as improbable as that may seem at first. Eric Weber clearly has a great affection for his characters, and he represents them with great humor as well as a deep understanding. This is an American-made film that reminds you of the foreign movies you love so much (especially if you're sick as I am of car chases, explosions, and special effects). Highly recommended.

Written and directed by Edward Weber and produced and starring Joey Pantoliano, Second Best is a curious movie that is painfully entertaining, embarrassingly funny and surprisingly touching in the end. Debuting at Sundance last night, Weber's story is about the anti-heroes, the average Joes that have cashed in their dreams for mediocre careers and dysfunctional families. Accustomed to failure and disappointment, they now only play-act at success, and will grasp at the fringes of worldliness.

Weber effectively makes the case that there is nobility in the lives of the below-average and that the friendships that bind these people (for they have nothing else but friends) is of greater value and meaning than the worldly success they aspire to.

Pantoliano hasn't branched far from the tree of his typical roles. He plays Eliot, a wise-cracking, cynical, self-proclaimed loser with a broken marriage and a job selling menswear. He nevertheless is the catalyst for his gang of pals, one of which is a Hollywood mogul currently on top of the world. What's the allure? Eliot is a funny, interesting, original thinker who, in the end, we know to have a heart of gold. And even more important, they've been friends for life.

I wanted to like the movie, because it feels like an original theme and I cared about the characters. A little more plot would have been nice, though. I also began to weary of the Freudian obsession with sex in a group of 40-year-old men. And I never bought into the extraordinary insensitivity Eliot displays to his friends. And finally, the only remotely likeable female character is Eliot's mother, Barbara Barrie, who gives a nice comedic performance.

I am eager to see what Weber comes up with next.

Crossing the line from sweet to saccharine is all too easy, with the majority of films that dare go near true sentiment ending up knee-deep in aspartame. But Second Best prances on that line with aplomb and grace. I realize that, "sweet," would not be the first adjective out of one's mouth after seeing Second Best, but sweet is what it is. Sweet it is to realize that average is as human as we get; sweet it is to realize that jealousy is as common as the cold; sweet it is to realize that real success has little to do with winning; and sweet it is to once again realize that the journey is far more interesting than the destination.

So, at the risk of sounding a bit gooey, myself, I think Eric Weber has come up with a very sweet and funny movie. It deals with failure, misguided potential and loss but you actually come out of the movie feeling good. Good in the way that Garden State, or the Station Agent, or even The Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind makes you feel. The direction, the dialog and the performances – especially that of Joey Pantalione – ring true and honest and real without even a hint of the after taste of Sweet 'N Low. To me it was the kind of movie that you wished didn't end so fast. It's good for all of us second besters. The winners can stay away.

I must admit that seeing a 3.8/10 by IMDb users before I saw this film was not the most encouraging thing for me to read before seeing this movie, which was played for the Trenton (NJ) Film Society last night. But I was pleasantly surprised. Joey "Pants" is actually restrained in this role, and isn't his typical over-the-top screaming character. All the other performances are also quite strong, especially Boyd Gaines. Normally, a film where people are wallowing in their inadequacies is NOT something I'm typically attracted too...that whole "victim culture" is something that I despise. But the film doesn't harp on that aspect as much as I thought it would. Or perhaps it's just that the writing is so superb. I hope this becomes more widely released, as I think it's definitely a worthwhile independent film to see.

This is a wonderfully touching film which ventures into the hearts of middle-aged men and their insecurities. I loved watching 'Second Best,' for me it confirmed what I already knew; men have close friendships too! Although these men displayed obnoxious, juvenile natures and immature sensibilities they weren't above turning to a good friend for approval. The writer took time to craft and create characters with complex needs and difficult, painful life situations. This made the film very appealing to me as I was able to empathize with these male characters. Though there were few females amongst the cast, they provided interesting comic relief. These woman were portrayed as quirky, funny and smart people.

There was an element to the film that felt home-made. As the landscapes danced over the screen, the montage sequences read as if on a home video. I felt that I was watching shots of my childhood town drive by my eyes.