Best In Show
Do you ever listen to the music during the credits? I do almost every movie. And in Best of Show, the most ingenius jazz piece plays. Pure fun, like the movie.
Best in Show isn’t funny as much as it’s fun. There are moments when I did laugh out loud. But, much of the time I was intrigued at what “assholes” these characters were. We can’t avoid R or X rated words or comments here because they’re too befitting for many movies. And Best of Show is really about assholes.
It’s assumed that most everyone knows what an asshole is, or who an asshole is. This is really significant considering that movies are about characters, driven by characters.
There’s not much of a story here. It was a delight as to who won “Best in Show,” the two most downtrodden characters in the movie. They suffered the most heartache, or more so, the male, played by Eugene Levy, who I saw in A Mighty Wind, but don’t remember the film.
Everywhere they went, some “asshole” remembered screwing his wife. In the opening of the film, she claimed to having 100s of lovers, to his chagrin. When they got to the hotel for the dog show, they’re credit card was declined. Being low on cash, the hotel manager put them up in the utility closet. Well, it turns out, they won “Best in Show.”
Parker Posey is one of those actor/actresses who is funny just by nature. she is mesmerizing and a free spirit at the same time. I’m still waiting to see her in a powerfully dramatic role. She’s been in a slew of movies I’ve never seen. I saw her in Party Girl and possibly the House of Yes. But my memory is bad. She was also in The Mighty Wind, which I also don’t remember.
This isn’t a movie about how much dog owners are like their dogs: a sequel or other movie is in order. And I’d like to have seen more about how people live with their animals and the role animals play in peoples lives and in society. Well, you’ve only got 2 hours at best, so you have to go for a slice-of-life. And that slice of life is winning an annual dog show.
The portrayal of both lesbian and gay characters was interesting because instead of focusing on the stereotype of lesbians and gays, the movie took a look at what “assholes” lesbians and gays can be. They’re just like anyone else, where character outshines sexual orientation, class, education or status.
Bob Balaban goes back all the way to Midnight Cowboy. I’ve seen him in many movies, most of which I’ve forgotten. That’s not a reflection of his talent, but a reflection of my memory. I certainly remember him in Close Encounters of a 3rd Kind.
Balaban calls to mind the need I have to trace the careers of many character actors. I’d like to gather up all the movies Balaban has done to see the roles he’s played, the kinds of films he’s chosen to be in (or films that chose him), and how he’s developed as an actor. Plus, it would take me into many movies I’ve never seen.
Other character actors in this movie with long lists of credits: Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge (who I remember in Legally Blonde 2), Catherine O’Hara (I remember in Beetle Juice), and others.
So, this movie was a good character sketch.
