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.

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.

fine film, situations are very much a part of many peoples lives. entertaining storyline, filled with real life situations. who among us hasn't suffered from feeling second best. a good reflection of many peoples feelings and insecurities. good casting and well directed film. film takes you through a full range of emotions, laughter, angst, it's all there. acting is very good. scene locations are excellent. constantly reminded of personal situations that are similar to film. if you have ever felt second best, you will enjoy the film. and who hasn't felt that at some point. it makes a common human condition very entertaining.

Well, i thought this film was going to be an uncomfortable and depressing experience, dealing as it does with personal failure and the jealousy, despondency and self-loathing it can create. But as it turns out, this film is a gem - real, uplifting, moving but unsentimental. It illustrates perfectly how people's unfulfilled aspirations and desires and their search for "success" can blind them to the true worthwhile and positive aspects of themselves and their lives.

I'm currently reading a book about status anxiety. This is a human condition that is rampant in modern society and it effects all of us to some extent - the need to keep up appearances with our peers (in a material sense) or else believe ourselves to be unloved, useless failures. money = success. This film illustrates this condition perfectly. It also shows us that no one can be a "loser" when they have good friends, people they love and care about and can have fun with. At the end of the day who is the real loser? The millionaire with no friends (real that is) or the toilet attendant with many?

Very few films like this are made any more - intelligent, though-provoking, profound and uncompromising. No car chases, no unnecessary violence, no product placement, just a very good film.

"Second Best" shows what the guys from HBO's "Entourage" may be like 40 years from now, so Mark Wahlberg might want to see it as a cautionary tale.

Like "American Splendor," it features a self-deprecating, self-proclaimed loser who turns his life into art, here as rants that he prints up himself and distributes everywhere around his suburban New Jersey home town.

But "Elliott" is not a loner or a misanthrope which is what saves him, as played by Joe Pantoliano, from being insufferable or pitiful like "Marty." He is very much a part of a network of friends, family and community, and he is even on tolerated terms with those who have moved on with their lives, including his re-married ex-wife and son (who might be the first handsome gay dental hygienist ever portrayed in film).

The actors are very comfortable at showing middle-aged, male camaraderie of long time friends, as an unusually expressive self-reflective bunch who talk about more than sports. Though their weekly dinners could put the men's movement back a bit as "Elliott" becomes increasingly lacerating in criticizing his friends' lives, that disruptive nastiness becomes an equalizing set-up when the only alpha male from their group, in a sympathetic three-dimensional performance by Boyd Gaines such that Jerry Bruckheimer should be very grateful this is his alter-ego, comes back to visit the old neighborhood with his own existential crisis.

Until writer/director Eric Weber stoops to the standard male competitive reflex of jealousy over women ending in fisticuffs, which, frankly, just doesn't make sense for these guys despite the Cyrano analogy, he does present an articulate examination (with a lot of Yiddish phrases) of coming to grips with aging, from their own health problems to the mother's nursing home (though Barbara Barrie seems much more spry than the other residents). That more depressing side of aging baby boomers was left out of "Sideways," though this film also has plenty of funny one-liners, sometimes with easy targets like Hollywood and books, to compensate.

While the women's tolerance of their men's quirks is saintly, at least they are not portrayed as total bitches, though this is a somewhat cynical reunion for Pantoliano and Jennnifer Tilly since "Bound."

While "Elliott" got laid off from his publishing job for not being in touch with the market, he is in touch with today's world enough to begin to simultaneously post his rantings as columns on a web blog, and the film's inserts of reactions he generates both in the neighborhood and online from around the country are amusing, keep the film contemporary-feeling and move along the leisurely pace.

The Bergen County, NJ locales are used very well in creating the feel of a neighborhood.

Tom O'Brien's score is lovely.

I don't know if it was the fault of the projectionist or the director that the tops of heads were cut off in so many blurry scenes.