The Extra Man
Louis Ives, a young dreamer with perfect manners and anemic complexion, avid reader of F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is closer to the era of jazz than the Internet, comes to New York to find himself. He begins his search in Manhattan because, in addition to reading The Great Gatsby, Lewis enjoys cross-dressing. He rents a room from Henry Harrison (a bold role by Kevin Kline), an aging dandy with a Christmas ornament fetish, who takes him under his wing and teaches him the secrets of an exceptional profession, the gigolo.
In their latest film, Berman and Puccini revisit places familiar from their Sundance award-winning film, American Splendor (2003). They show a world of urban freaks and eccentrics to create a fascinating galleria of juicy characters headed by Henry. The Extra Man takes a classic student and master formula and imbues it with new life, mainly due to the great acting of both leading roles. Each role builds on lightness, humor and is convincing - even when required to pontificate (with all seriousness) that the fundamental source of misfortune in modern society is introduction of the coeducational system in schools. The film offers many other lines like it, in this story of delightful misogynists and novice fetishists in a gallery of colorful New York personalities.
Grzegorz Kurek
Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Married since 1994, Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini earned acclaim as both documentarians and feature filmmakers. They first garnered notice for their award-winning 1997 documentary Off the Menu: The Last Days at Chasen’s, about the closing of the legendary Hollywood eatery. In 2003, Berman and Pulcini made their fictional feature film debut with the independent hit American Splendor, based on the legendary underground comic by Harvey Pekar. After winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, the film netted Berman and Pulcini an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, and picked up awards at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Writers Guild of America. The Extra Man is their third feature.
Filmografia / Filmography:
1997 BB King (odcinek serialu TV VH1 Legends / episode of TV series VH1 Legends)
1997 Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen’s (dok. / doc.)
2000 The Young and the Dead (dok. / doc.)
2002 Hello, He Lied & Other Truths from the Hollywood Trenches (dok. / doc.)
2003 Amerykański splendor / American Splendor
2006 Wanderlust (doc. / dok.)
2007 Niania w Nowym Jorku / The Nanny Diaries
2010 Chłopak do towarzystwa / The Extra Man
Cast & Crew
