Sour Grapes
Maybe Jerry Seinfeld is actually a warm, caring person who brings a teensy bit
of humanity to his sit-com -- because his show's co-creator, Larry David, is
definitely one sick bastard. Left on his own to write and direct his first
feature, David has come up with a quirky, mostly amoral, often very funny film.
Anyone familiar with Seinfeld's George (who's based on David) won't be
surprised to hear that Sour Grapes is about selfishness and money --
namely the jackpot Richie (Craig Bierko) wins in an Atlantic City slot machine
with two quarters he borrowed from his cousin Evan (Wings' Steven
Weber).
As the two bicker over the winnings -- the loud, condescendingly charming
Richie becoming louder and vicious, and the low-key, proper Evan becoming
sneaky and vicious -- they bring ruin on their lives, their girlfriends, and
especially Richie's relentlessly kvetching mother. A dead ringer for George's
mom, she's a page out of the Seinfeld playbook, as are the awkward and
bizarre exchanges of dialogue, the picking apart of words and minutiae, and the
oddly small-town feel of New York City. But here David has time to build the
tension without always going for the joke -- though there is a repeated gag
about Richie's ability to blow himself. Yes, it's now clear who came up with
the idea of George's fiancée licking the poisonous wedding invitations.
-- Mark Bazer
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