Clear History

Will Haney (Jon Hamm) is making an electric car calling it Howard. The PR manager Nathan Flomm (Larry David) refuses to market the car due to the name and sells back his 10% of the company. The company becomes a giant success and Nathan becomes a laughing stock. Ten years later, he's working on Martha's Vineyard under the name Rolly DaVore and with a different look. Everybody seems to like him but nobody knows his true past. Will shows up having bought a large property but he doesn't recognize Nathan.

I don't watch Curb although I know Larry David's character. The premise is silly but it does lead to some good poetic justice. Instead of electric cars, I'd do the iPhone. The electric car looks silly in a bad way. Instead of Siri, people would ask Howard. It's a cheaper and funnier joke. After the initial bearded first act, Larry David returns to looking like Larry David. There are some good laughs and there are a lot of A-list actors. At some point, Rolly does get more frustratingly selfish than hilariously stupid. It's a balancing act of me liking or disliking him. For some reason, Will's reveal of wanting to repay him actually make me like him more. At that point, his stupidity is self-destructive and that's funny to me. For Curb's fans, I think this would be a blast. As a Curb non-fan, I like this half of the time and I find it tolerable in the other half.

I'm not a big Larry David/Curb fan, but this movie is very funny, helped by a great cast. JB Smoove and Danny McBride are a riot. Humorous plot and antics. Can't believe the lukewarm reviews, how many good comedies are there?

'Clear History' is certainly amusing & also well-acted, but its not Hilarious. Despite some funny moments & an ensemble to die for, this Larry David comedy doesn't really bring out the hilarity one might expect from it.

'Clear History' Synopsis: A disgraced former marketing executive plots revenge against his former boss, who made billions from the electric car company they started.

'Clear History' clearly lacks wit & top humour. Larry David, Alec Berg, David Mandel & Jeff Schaffer's Screenplay has a terrific premise & some sequences, especially when the revenge is plotted against the antagonist, do hold you interest. But, overall, its strictly average. The sub-plots are too many & sadly, not all of them even work. Even the culmination to this twisted story, isn't well-done. A far superior Screenplay could've made things better! Greg Mottola's Direction is standard.

'Clear History' is led by a very fine cast. Larry David is in his element & performs marvelously well. Michael Keaton is simply astonishing as the angered hillbilly. He steals the show & brings the house down. Bill Hader is first-rate. Jon Hamm is effective. Kate Hudson is genuine. Live Schreiber is superb. Eva Mendes is excellent. Philip Baker Hall, Amy Ryan & Danny McBride shine, as well.

On the whole, 'Clear History' has stellar performances, but thats about it.

If you're a fan of Larry David's (and I am) this feature film should make you very happy. It's very much like an extended episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm with the same sort of quirky observational humor and dependence on Larry's obsessions with the minutia of every day life. The revenge plot, the back story are just scaffolding on which to build the kind of gags that made Seinfeld and Curb so satisfying. Is Larry exploring new territory? No. But expecting LD to be different is like expecting Woody to be a different person in his films. One can argue that Woody and Bob Hope and Danny Kaye are always themselves (or at least their comic personae) in all of their movies. And I wouldn't have it any other way. There are lots of laughs in this film and Larry delivers in his signature style.

If you are a Curb Your Enthusiasm fan as I am, you will like this movie. I absolutely love Larry David (hilarious) and Jon Hamm (a feast for your eyes) - and this was definitely an interesting match up. It is nice to see Jon Hamm outside of Mad Men, and Larry David in movies. I knew this was a must-see. There are many star surprises, including Kate Hudson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, and J.B. Smoove. I found the Larry David's character to be very "Curb Your Enthusiasm" - which I find real, honest, and relateable. Perhaps the story line is a bit goofy at times; however, I laughed over and over. If you're looking for a light-hearted laugh fest (and you're a Larry David and Jon Hamm fan)... this is the movie to see!