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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Film This Week in Film: Big Fan

Posted by on Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 10:51 AM

Big_Fan.jpg
Patton Oswalt is a funny little squeezy-toy of a person whose stand-up—cheerfully brutal, sprawling yet precise—is among the best in the world ever. In the grim almost-comedy Big Fan, Oswalt plays Paul Aufiero, a Staten Island parking lot attendant and contented loser whose life, wife, god, sun, stars, and reason to breathe, eat, and poop is the New York Giants. When, thanks to alcohol and overexuberance (“fan” is short for “fanatic,” right?), he gets the shit beaten out of him by his favorite player, Aufiero’s life plummets to dark, low, surprising places. Watching Oswalt’s face register the realization—puzzled, incredulous, still excited—that best moment of his life is about to become his worst, might feel like the worst moment of YOUR life. Big Fan makes the most of Oswalt chubby pathos while excising any hint of healing irony. It’s tough and good and yikes.

And, just because, here is Patton Oswalt telling jokes:


 

Comments (6) RSS

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Baconcat 1
I want to give him lots of hugs.
Posted by Baconcat on September 22, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Toasterhedgehog 2
Most sports fans would no longer be fans if they met the athletes they support. Most professional athletes are functionally retarded manchildren that act like spoiled beauty queens.
Posted by Toasterhedgehog on September 22, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Georgia Guy 3
Patton Oswalt is probably the second greatest comedian working today (behind Louis C.K.). The guy has a way with words that is both unique and insanely hilarious. Failure pile in a sadness bowl = genius.
Posted by Georgia Guy on September 22, 2009 at 12:53 PM
4
He kind of has to be awesome...he's got the height and the weight things going against him...unless he's up for a part in Guillermo del Toro's upcoming Hobbit film.
Posted by j.lee on September 22, 2009 at 3:54 PM
murray chatauqua 5
Uh... Didn't David Cross do that exact same joke like 4, 5 years ago?
Posted by murray chatauqua on September 22, 2009 at 5:12 PM
6
@5, the Famous Bowl was only introduced three years ago.
Posted by Monty on September 22, 2009 at 8:05 PM

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