Clear History

"Clear History" is like an extended episode of L. D.'s Curb Your Enthusiasm. It has the same spirit, the same jokes, but yet it works on its own. How could this be? I think it's all thanks to a brilliant vision of a true genius of comedy genre, mr. Larry David.

Clear History centers on Nathan Flomm (L. D.), a marketing executive, who works for and is also a partner with Will Haney (Jon Hamm); they're working on an idea of a revolutionary electric car, but when the name of the car becomes an issue for Nathan, they part their ways. Nathan regrets it and wants to get back on the business, but Will refuses him. Nathan, in order to avoid the humiliation of having missed out on a hugely successful business, assumes a new identity on Martha's Vineyard. One day (after 10 years) a well known face shows up in town (Will Haney), and leaves Nathan no option but to plot revenge.

Any "Curb Your Enthusiasm" fan won't be disappointed with what "Clear History" has to offers, and anybody else who is not familiar with Larry David's career will enjoy it too, only for the fact that the movie is a fun ride. The jokes hit the mark, the story is simple (it's easy to follow it), the ensemble cast dances with L. D's tune and also the soundtrack (mostly supplied by Chicago's discography) make it a worthy watch on a small scale.

I do watch Curb Your Enthusiasm and think it's a funny but crazy show. When I found this movie on HBO I just read the plot, I didn't read any reviews. If I had done that I might have understood that this is a movie very much featuring Larry Davids mind and ideas. It is like a long episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm with a similar kind of plot. It's a movie about a very "special" person that always feels the need to say everything he thinks out loud and that always feels neglected. Just like Larry in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

It is a funny movie but I think some may think it's a bit too much like Curb Your Enthusiasm. It even has the same kind of music. The movie is entertaining but quirky!

It's like a really long episode of his show. Same kind of humour.

Goodish comedy. Helps if you like Larry David (as I do). Not great though: uneven and sometimes just silly. However, there are enough hysterical moments and typical Seinfeld/David-isms to keep it going.

Not everyone is a raving fan of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The show is often like watching a root- canal procedure as Larry David's character plunges himself into one unnecessary, painfully embarrassing situation after another. There's some of that in "Clear History," but the character has mellowed. You can understand why people like Rolly, the name of the hard-luck case Larry David plays here. He's irascible, but then the other people in his little community are just as irascible and just as quirky; he fits in well. "Clear History" is a farce, a word that I wouldn't exactly apply to "Curb." It's a sequence of disasters based on carefully timed misunderstandings. The scene where Rolly is on the way to stop one such disaster when he has to pause when he encounters two friends who have just been in a motorcycle accident is priceless. He tell the two friends that he just doesn't have time to help them; the two friends are incredulous and angry, but he's actually right! If you were in his situation, you wouldn't help them and you wouldn't be able to explain either. The crush Rolly develops on Kate Hudson's character is also believable and funny, especially the way it (of course) comes crashing down around him.

The cast is terrific. Watch for Liev Schreiber in an uncredited role.