Big Fan

Finally, I have seen the movie I was anticipating more than any other in the year 2009, “Big Fan.” And the good news is it was everything I hoped it would be and more. This is the second comedy recently to try and be like “Taxi Driver,” the first being “Observe and Report” which is a movie I loved and the rest of the world hated. All the films are character studies of an alienated anti-hero with severe psychotic tendencies. This one does it in a different way that really brilliantly toes the line between comedy and seriously disturbing drama.

“Big Fan” is the story of the world’s number one Giants fan. It’s the only thing he has in his life that makes him happy and he is content to keep it that way by any means necessary. When he’s severely beaten to the brink of death by his favorite player it puts his whole world and the core of his existence into a tailspin. This film is so good and that makes me glad. I was really worried that having waited so long to see it the film might have gotten hyped up in my mind to the point where no matter how good it was I would have been let down. Thankfully it’s too good for even that to have happened. Patton Oswalt is pitch perfect. I always thought he was funny but now I know he can act. The real triumph of this film is the story. To set such a mind bending journey in the life of a character who is at least a fanatic and at most a psychotic within the world of pro sports is to have your finger on the pulse of contemporary culture in America. This is one of the best movies of last year, and had I seen it a month ago it would have been on my top ten list. It’s a shame that we live in a world where something terrible like “Inglorious Basterds” is sure to be recognized as great by some award show, while this master work of a screenplay will undoubtedly never even be nominated.

Just spending time in this characters world is quite a trip. The best thing about it though is it never forgets to remind you it’s a joke, because it is a satire after all. And for a satire it is biting and dead on. The movie is full of great bits of humor sprinkled through a film that is dark. Perhaps that’s the best joke of all; that for such ridiculous subject matter it isn’t treated as such. But then again most fans don’t think they are ridiculous or absurd people, and so because they are serious it’s important that the film makes you understand their conviction. I can’t help but feel at this very moment as I construct this review similarly to the character preparing his remarks for his next call to a sports talk radio show. I really love a movie that dares you to like the main character. I just don’t know how one human being could be such a good writer. Between “The Wrestler” which was the best film of 2008, and this film the writer is on a roll. I don’t know how he can possibly top himself but I sure look forward to it.