overall i liked this movie. i didnt really know anything about harvey pekar before watching it, though i was familiar with robert crumb. as an introduction to the man, it was interesting and complimentary, but honestly i doubt if i’ll ever explore any more of his work. paul giamatti seems..distant. he’s an amazing actor, but you can tell in this movie that that’s all he really lent to it, his amazing acting skills. he doesnt seem to connect with pekar on a personal level. i dont believe that hes him. i would have rather watched a straightforward biography of pekar than this. the actors seem..unnecessary. and fake. the scene where they are on the steps first dealing with pekar’s condition and that exchange with the “im just not strong enough” line is just sooo cheesy. just tell about the guy’s life and get rid of all this stylized fluff.
i dunno, its funny, watching it i felt like more of a curmudgeon, so this review kind of reflects that. im sure harvey would at least be proud of that.

A very clever film, but not a pretentious one. Lovely how richly Pekar’s personality is revealed here, and I love the insistence on portraying him as a real human being and not an eccentric above all. Of course, his friend Toby is wonderful in that way as well - wholly himself - and I confess to utterly falling in love with Pekar’s third wife Joyce. Very satisfying to watch.

Si no puedo dormir en la noche, una película como esta me da la unica herramienta para aflojar mis músculos: la creatividad que no se esconde para nadie. El talento que se reparte discriminadamente.