Jimmie Higgins
13th December 2010, 13:23
This movie caught me off guard. A good depiction of alienation (on a few different levels) and the lengths people in this society go to feel some connection and fulfillment in life. Patton Oswalt was convincing and pulled it off well... desperately clinging to the one area of pure enjoyment in his life... his "why do people have to be so mean" at the end really got to me.
I also loved how the movie showed the most fanatical sports fans sitting outside the stadium because tickets are practically unaffordable to most working class people.
The biggest political weakness of the movie was that it brought up some of the crass racism of sports-fandom in the US (particularly in sports-media) where white fans resent the income and fame of black pro-athletes but didn't really critique it. It's a real issue in US sports and the movie wasn't condoning this attitude since it was held by an unsympathetic racist/elitist character, but it's disappointing to bring it up and not take it on.
I also loved how the movie showed the most fanatical sports fans sitting outside the stadium because tickets are practically unaffordable to most working class people.
The biggest political weakness of the movie was that it brought up some of the crass racism of sports-fandom in the US (particularly in sports-media) where white fans resent the income and fame of black pro-athletes but didn't really critique it. It's a real issue in US sports and the movie wasn't condoning this attitude since it was held by an unsympathetic racist/elitist character, but it's disappointing to bring it up and not take it on.