Viewed in
2010
Formats
HD TV
Premise
Patten Oswalt stars as a rabid fan of the New York Giants football team, who gets into a violent encounter with his favorite player.
Loved
That it took risks.
Liked
The cast, the interesting take on sports fans.
Disliked
The last act.
Thoughts
I was fairly impressed, even with the hype.
The best part was the acting, especially Marcia Jean Kurtz and Oswalt as mother and son. Oswalt carried the film, with a great portrayal of the type of sports fan that makes you feel sorry for, or fear. I enjoyed the creative twists on the fan/athlete dynamics, and it took me to some interesting, somewhat-dark places into the psyche of an obsessive fan.
Another aspect I never thought about was the self-gratification from sports talk radio. Similar to a blogger, these people create identities, try to stand out in a pack of voices, and puff out their chests when their "clever" rants are "noticed". Guilty as charged.
Despite all these interesting things, I did not get a memorable payoff at the end. Even when I felt sorry for Oswalt's character, I never loved him enough through the story. The third act was far from typical, which I appreciated, but it led to minimal character development.
Bottom line, I recommend this little film for risk-taking in acting, story, and themes, even if it led to an unsatisfactory ending.
What I would change
Got rid of the dream sequences. They brought nothing to the table.
