Second Best

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.

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.

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.

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.

Depending on your point-of-view, this story of 'Elliot', a self-proclaimed loser, is alternately depressing and amusing as it follows the travails of the ultimate frustrated writer. His animosity towards the world grows when he can't get published and is forced to post his 'literary' work around town on flyers stuck to telephone poles.

Then, to his surprise, Elliot's pseudo-'fictional' prose gets a response as it begins to strike a chord with his fellow downtrodden underachievers. But as pungent and funny as some of Elliot's observations may be to audience members, they do manage to strike his 'serious' readers close to the heart while at the same time aiming alarmingly closer to the bone of his close friends and associates.

Perfectly cast as said loser 'Elliot' is veteran actor Joe 'Joey Pants' Pantoliano who's supporting work in big-budget films like "The Matrix" and "Memento" has finally garnered him a major film role (of sorts). Elliot's sardonic wit gets a many-layered recitation from Pantoliano's lips (via voice-over primarily) as he perfectly captures the psychological depression and self-abuse that goes along with being the eternal outsider. Not to mention the even more deplorable fact that Elliot is a man who's sunk so low he's willing to borrow money from his ex-wife, mother, AND son just to maintain his paltry existence (and help pay for the flyers).

Elliot's polar opposite is his mega-successful childhood pal 'Richard', well-played with jaded zeal by veteran stage actor Guy Boyd, who continually dodges Elliots questions regarding a potential screenplay to be developed. Richard's knowledge of the business prevents his recognition of Elliot's populist appeal, leaving him with unenviable task of having to bring Elliot back to reality. Between them there is also an underlying jealousy which fuels their need to score decidedly humorous zingers against each other. Both Pantoliano and Boyd make the most of these verbal duels making these scenes the most enjoyable of the film.

The rest of the supporting cast is also above par and each character is given a choice moment to respond to Elliot's damnation of their feeble existences. The losers gang also provides plenty of comic relief throughout the film from the golf course to the local singles bar.

If it weren't for the reality TV audio quality and subpar video transfer this film would be very easy to recommend. However, if you feel that film is a visual medium and your theater isn't projecting this film in its original digital format then you might want to wait for the DVD. It'll be just as funny as a small-screen experience and a lot cleaner technically.

However, if you are the losingest loser in your neighborhood then maybe you should watch a second rate print of "Second Best" just to soothe your damaged ego. In any case, you've been warned.