I, Curmudgeon

Curmudgeon (say ker-mud-j'n) noun. An irritable or miserable old man.

A very simple documentary (I'd imagine the only money spent went to tapes stock and petrol) on the subject of being a curmudgeon. The film spends most of the time trying to answer the question: Are we like this because the world is so draining or are we just grumpy old men & women? The film interviews some well and not so well known cheerless souls, including Harvey Pekar of American Splendor fame, although he's not as energetic as some of the other people we meet. While there are a few other familiar faces, the film doesn't introduce, nor have any titles of the interviewees, so we'll never know who they are or what they do.

Intercut between the interviews is the director, Alan Zweig, who sits his handycam in front of the mirror and vomits misery onto us. He is engaging at first, with a plethora of complaints, ideas and other social commentary, but towards the second half of the film, these segments seemed to get longer and less interesting. It almost feels as though every time Mr Zweig has had an argument, he's raced home and recorded his side of it. Now we have to sit through it.

Several interviewees have fascinating things to say, but by the end, and I'm not sure if this is intended, most of their charm has worn off and they sound like...well, curmudgeons! The film does stay outside its welcome, but it is worth seeing, if you're in the mood and with the right company. Warning: Not a date movie.

I've seen this film being criticized for being inexpensive. Also for being simple. Or for the exclusion of everything but talking heads. None of these things are sins, in my mind. I loved this film. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it, and in this case, that's a compliment. The most enjoyable aspect of this film is that it takes on a question that many of us have probably asked ourselves in our lifetime but is the kind of question that we never would expect a documentary to tackle. The question is - for people who often get labeled as "negative" - is simple. "Is it us or is it them?" Are we actually negative or is it the Pollyanna world around us that sees us that way? I know that there were a few semi-famous people in this film but I, for one, was glad that people weren't identified, so I wouldn't have to spend the whole film reading "Joe Schmoe" and asking myself "Who's that? Is he famous?" It's not important if they're famous or not. They're simply a bunch of folks, men and women, who share similar problems. They're my people and I loved spending ninety odd minutes with them.

Alan Zweig. I had the pleasure of watching I Curmudgeon to-day on the I.F.C. I loved it!!! I often feel like I'm marching alone to a tune no one else hears..Perhaps intelligence invites misery. I'm not so much depressed as chronically disappointed in what many people settle for. It seems most important to achieve a comfortable numbness- a sameness of affect, thought and behavior. The hardest thing for me about any career was how to navigate the morning " Good Morning" or " How are you to-day?" These simple human interactions left me confused and baffled..They still do. Socially I am totally inept. I was trained from birth to exceed- to become perfect. Social norms about such lofty matters as purses matching shoes were drilled into me from birth. What the parents and so-called adults failed to communicate was the value of truth. All the stuff that was given time and energy was, to me, meaningless and trite. It didn't matter if you dad beat you senseless as long as you kissed the Monsigneur's ring and memorized the green catechism.. I still don't understand. I don't even want to.. You film made me laugh and feel a sense of belonging among fellow misfits. Thank you for making me enjoy having a brain and some independence of thought. Your work is much appreciated by this retired ( but not mindless) woman.