King of the Corner

I saw "King of the Corner" at a pre-release screening at Bridgewater College in Virginia two days ago. I really thought it was wonderful. The story line both moving and extremely funny. There are several scenes from the film that I keep replaying in my mind and have talked to others about since viewing the film. (A sign of a great film.)

I thought the cast, writing and direction were excellent. While most of the audience where I saw the film was composed of college aged students, I am quite a bit older (in my early 40's). The film had wonderful cross-generational humor that suggested to me that viewers of all ages (18+) would find it enjoyable. It also was quite moving at times, especially for anyone who has had to deal with issues of ill family members.

I give the film my highest rating!!!

Don't miss it!

I had the privilege of attending the screening for this small yet universally meaningful film.

I hope it gets as much distribution as possible, because the actors' remarkable performances bring life to "normal everyday" characters that really remind us of human qualities we can all relate to in our own way.

Humorous bits and pieces keep the film light and tasteful, making it an easily enjoyable hour and twenty minutes.

I recommend this to those looking for an entertaining, worthwhile film.

Keep an eye out especially for the character of Betsy--a notable performance.

King of the Corner is a gift to us from a group of wonderfully talented actors (Eli Wallach, Isabella Rossellini, Rita Moreno, Peter Reigert and more) who are brought together by Peter Reigert to tell this story of a man coming apart at the seams. Leo is under pressure by his ailing dad, by a younger man competing for his job, by a wife unhappy with the marriage, by a difficult teenage daughter and by a sense of life losing all meaning. With a very healthy mix of humor and warmth, Leo lives the minutes and hours of his life fully and suffers his way forward in a way that we want to go with him and learn and live our way forward. This is a highly recommended film for everybody who wants to follow the human condition through the story of one man and his struggles.

Peter Riegert's film, King of the Corner, based on Gerald Shapiro's work, Bad Jews and Other Stories, offers a remarkable glimpse into one man's struggle to balance the demands of dealing with an aging parent, raising a teenager daughter, remaining faithful in his marriage, maintaining some sort of credibility at work, as well as coming to terms with his own past choices. I absolutely loved the way in which the central metaphors worked in the film--Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken," the image of the "bad Jew" dancing around the idol while Moses is receiving the stone tablets, and the story of Leo's father playing "King of the Corner" in the swimming pool. These sorts of symbolic connections give this movie a measure of humanity and much more depth than you would find in a typical Hollywood film.

Riegert's performance was wonderfully low key. Leo doesn't whine, he doesn't rant (except maybe in the scene with the focus group), and he doesn't degenerate into farce (except maybe in the scene when he confronts his lover's husband). For the most part, he remains sensitive and thoughtful as he tries to put his world back together. The highlight of Riegert's portrayal is the scene at his father's funeral. It was an emotionally charged scene, a scene that many actors would have been tempted to overdo, that was played perfectly by Riegert.

This is truly wonderful film. Eli Wallach, Rita Moreno, Beverly D'Angelo...everyone does a terrific job. If you want to see a warm, thoughtful film about real people trying to come to terms with real issues in a sometimes crazy world, then this is a film you shouldn't miss.

First-time feature director Peter Riegert gathered a great ensemble cast for this combination of two short stories from Gerald Shapiros's wonderful book "Bad Jews" (recently featured in NPR interviews) about a middle-aged salesman and his family coping with aging parents, rebellious teens and former high school crushes from years past. Some of the products Leo (Riegert) does focus groups for are outrageous (a voice changer for phones that makes you sound like Gregory Peck, an alarm that scares off burglars with a pre-recorded family quarrel). His protege, Ed (Dustin Hoffman's son, Jake, described in the original screenplay as "looks like a young Dustin Hoffman" - what were the chances?) starts pushing for Leo's job while Leo's dad (Eli Wallach) steals scenes as a querulous curmudgeonly senior. Eric Bogosian is a welcome addition as a free-lance rabbi who makes Leo confront his father's legacy (best clerical scene-stealer since Rowan Atkinson in Four Weddings and a Funeral), and Mamma Mia! Rita Moreno, Isabella Rossellini and Beverly D'Angelo competing as "mature" sex symbols of the year! At today's Mill Valley Film Fest screening Peter said he'll open in NY & LA at least (March 2005)and build from there. A charming low-budget labor of love that may have to earn a reputation by word of mouth (unless someone from Miramax is paying attention- are you there, Harv?)...