Inspired casting, inspired film

As a major R. Crumb fan, I was thrilled when I heard about this movie, and I was doubly thrilled that the great (and highly under-rated - at least at the time!) Paul Giamatti was going to play Harvey Pekar (whose writings Crumb brilliantly illustrated initially, allowing the American Splendor comix to be born). Saw the film yesterday and loved it.

No one could have portrayed Pekar any better than Giamatti, a fearless actor who relishes parts that let him portray less-than-glamorous characters (remember his turn as "Pig Vomit" in Howard Stern's Private Parts, for example? - not a pretty picture). As Pekar, he's in his element from beginning to end, and the real Harvey Pekar is in the film as well, which also uses comic book illustrations to depict his life. So the film actually shows 3 levels of Pekar's reality, a hugely effective story-telling method in this particular case.

Hope Davis also scores here as Joyce Brabner, possibly the only woman on the planet who would understand and love the not-so-lovable Pekar. And James Urbaniak shines in his (much too few) scenes as R. Crumb. All the supporting players are great, in fact; everyone brings something special to Harvey's very interesting and ultimately inspiring story.