We may pine for Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine, the comedic and public faces of “Seinfeld” but I am still thankful for the wit and humor of Larry David.
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Ladies and gentlemen, the incomparable George Costanza is back. There´s no denying it, he´s back, baby!
OK, OK, maybe the person that I am referring to is not the Jason Alexander character we all know and love but he is the very soul of George Costanza nonetheless. Who am I talking about? Well, none other than "Seinfeld" co-creator, Larry David, of course. Doesn´t ring a bell? That´s because David is known more as a writer than an actor. Starting off his career as a stand-up comedian and then as a writer/actor on the short-lived ABC "SNL"-clone series "Fridays" in 1980 and later, as a writer on "Saturday Night Live" itself in the mid 1980´s, David´s major breakthrough came when he, together with comedian Jerry Seinfeld, co-created one of the funniest, if not the funniest sitcom ever to appear on American television, "Seinfeld". So what has David been up to since "Seinfeld" ended its successful run so many years ago? Most importantly though, the question on everyone´s mind would be, can he ever top "Seinfeld"? Will he even try? First, David found time to write and direct a comedy called "Sour Grapes" in 1998 and then came a one-hour HBO special called "Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm" a year later. That comedy special was a mockumentary about how David pitches an idea to HBO about filming a documentary that follows his footsteps as he prepares for a comeback to stand-up comedy. Interesting, huh? An HBO special about doing an HBO special.
Following the success of that television special, HBO accorded David a chance to create a half-hour comedy series based primarily on that show. Evolving from that special, "Curb Your Enthusiasm", Larry David´s, well, self-deprecating new series, is a show about practically nothing but says a whole lot about how funny and dark everyday life can be. Any of this sounds awfully familiar? You bet! One viewing session of "CYE" and I see the core of "Seinfeld"´s basic comedic philosophies everywhere. All the time that I was watching "CYE", I get this distinct feeling that David is trying to create a sicker and darker version of "Seinfeld", a creative slant afforded only by virtue of the series being on cable television. So, with all this new energy and freedom, the one big question remains, is "Curb Your Enthusiasm" funnier than "Seinfeld"? Well, let me put it this way: funny--yes, funnier--no. Then again, it is never easy to top your best work, much less a powerhouse like "Seinfeld".
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" revolves around the everyday life of Larry David. Two other regulars on the show include Cheryl Hines as David´s wife Cheryl and Jeff Garlin as his manager, Jeff Greene. Another regular is David´s good friend, the equally neurotic comedian Richard Lewis, whose frequent ad-libbed repartee with David never fails to put a smile on my face. Filmed in a verite style using handheld cameras, "CYE" experiments extensively with unscripted comedy. Yes, you heard that right--most of the show is unscripted. Ouch! The actors get a short outline and a general idea of where a particular scene is going and the rest is up to them. Some parts do come across as somewhat unpolished and even awkward at times but the ad-libbing and improvisation work in many other ways. It also helps that most of the guest stars that appear on the show are accomplished comedians who are often funnier without scripted lines. David´s life is uneventful and mundane even, except for his circle of celebrity friends, who take their turn in proliferating some sort of a mini peep show for avid celebrity watchers. With some glimpses of "The Larry Sanders Show" at its core, celebrity guest stars play musical chairs on "CYE", each taking their turn in giving David´s life a much-needed legitimacy and to keep the show´s audience guessing as to who will turn up next week. One wonders if the show can stand on its own without these celebrity guests. But...I am digressing. After all, "CYE" is all about Larry David and that is what we will talk about now.
Like Costanza, David is balding (but tall and thin), bespectacled and is prone to self-destructive behavior. Try to imagine David as a younger, non-Italian and laid back version of Uncle Junior (from "The Sopranos") without the menacing mob looking over his shoulder and you get a good picture of Larry David. He obsesses on social paranoia with questions like, "Do you think they like us?" or "What is the cutoff time to make a phone call at night?" and craves for social acceptance. The show deals mainly with common events like a trip to see the doctor, buying a gift for his wife, shopping, attending a funeral or bowling night with Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen (OK, may be not the last one, but you get the point). All these seemingly innocuous everyday chores seem to take on a life of their own as David´s propensity to make the worst possible comment at the worst possible time gets him into deep doo-doo every single time. Then there are the off-color and sometimes downright wacky supporting characters that cross David´s path everyday. They serve to counterbalance David´s slightly misanthropic view of daily life. Much as I take pity on David´s self-inflicted predicaments, it is achingly hilarious.
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