Sour Grapes Review
It's difficult to express the depth of sheer loathing with which this comedy from Seinfeld co-creator Larry David was greeted upon its theatrical release; "despised" would not be too harsh a phrase to describe the reaction of the typical critic. However, a tiny, drowned-out minority correctly identified the writer/director's feature debut as a viciously funny, unabashedly cynical exploration of social mores and ethics gone berserk. The film's only real flaws are a distracting, clichéd classical music soundtrack (what, they couldn't afford Randy Newman or Mark Mothersbaugh?) and a rather too-consciously familiar cast of characters. David's dark side, which resulted in many of Seinfeld's most controversial episodes, is unleashed here and he relishes making comic hay out of the most tragic situations possible, including death, terminal illness, crime, and just sheer, unexpurgated selfishness. His is a vision of humanity that may not go over like the life-affirming tonic that so many expect from the traditional lukewarm mainstream comedy, but David has to be respected as an artist sticking to his guns and giving his id free reign to invent audacious and startling material. Like Office Space (1999), another excellent but ignored late-'90s comedy from a TV show producer, Sour Grapes (1998) is a lost gem destined to be rediscovered in subsequent years on -- ironically -- television. Karl Williams, Rovi
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