Man About Town (2006) Reviews

• The First 40 Minutes...

  tarbosh220002010-05-13

  "Man About Town" is the biggest DTV movie of 2007. I can see why it deserved that fate. The plot: Jack Giamoro (Affleck) is a smarmy talent agent who has a successful life and a beautiful wife (Romijn). He realizes that his wife is cheating on him with his top client (Adam Goldberg). This sets him off emotionally and he starts a journal and it contains all his dark secrets. Unfortunately, it gets stolen in a robbery and he needs it back desperately. The first 40 minutes are excellent. Affleck and Romijn are great and they have some strong chemistry. Then it falls apart....fast. The journal class\robbery subplot just doesn't work. If they cut that out and focused on the infidelity it would have been a stronger movie. I think this went straight to video because of its wildly uneven tone. It's not really a comedy, it's more of a drama. The climax, while entertaining, is predictable and feels rushed. The supporting cast is good however, with John Cleese standing out as Jack's teacher. Overall, "Man About Town" is worth seeing for the first 40 minutes. If you like Affleck, you might enjoy it. Take a look at the trailer! (Does contain spoilers!)

• Loved it...

  DoubleUK2006-06-08

  I find it strange to see an American movie, being released over here in The Netherlands, before it's release in the states. And why is it not released in th US? Because it's not good? Nope. This is a very good movie. I enjoyed it thoroughly. And the people present in the theater also did enjoyed it. Ben Affleck has a knack for comedy. He plays Jack Giamoro, heading a big agency for writers and actors in Hollywood. He is married to a beautiful woman (Nina, played by Rebecca Romijn) and takes care of his father, who needs attendance, suffering from a stroke. Jack secretly attends a course in writing journals in order to get grips with his life. The movie starts with Nina confessing that she has been unfaithful to him. Jack cannot cope with this, especially when he hears that she did it with one of his clients. He throws her out of the house and threatens to end the contract with his client, a very, very successful comedy writer and very important to the agency. What follows is the world of Jack falling apart, his colleagues and friends taking different sides. A rejected Chinese screenwriter tries to get back at him by exposing the fraudulent basis on which the agency is founded. A burglary, a really horrendous but funny dental job, John Cleese making easy money as a teacher and an audition of 'Basic Instinct'. It's all there and more. This movie is at times funny, hilarious, touching but all the time convincing and engaging. I loved it. I don't know why it's not already in American cinemas. And if you had your doubts about Ben, see this flick. You won't regret it.

• The talent agency

  jotix1002008-04-19

  "Man About Town", written and directed, as well as acted, by Mike Binder, shows how low some of the people that rule the film industry have stooped so low in order to establish themselves in the fantasy planet of Hollywood and the competitive world they seem to inhabit. Some famous names come to mind of people that got their start this way. It is curious how our society does not bat an eyelash to denounce their deception, their greed and the ambition that seem to be their only excuse to justify their existence. At the center of the story, one meets Jack Giamoro. He lives the kind of life that not many of us mortals get to know. He is married to a gorgeous woman, a product of that rarefied world, that has cheated on him with one of his clients. Jack, upon learning about the deceit in his own life, goes berserk. He hires the relative of a man in his office to take all her possessions out his house and his life. We get a chance to see what Jack's life was like growing up. In flashbacks one can watch how his own brother took the girl he liked away from him. His father, who is senile, lives with him, to make matters worse. Luckily, Jack has no children, which makes his separation from the wife more bearable. Jack has a problem in opening himself to others as shown in the writing classes he decides to take, but he wants to use to his own advantage; he doesn't want to share personal aspects of his writing with the professor, or his fellow students. The surprising turn of events that befall Jack make him more human, in ways one never suspected. In a way, the film is a cop out because Jack doesn't show any kind of human kindness from the way he rose to the top, or in the way he wants to leave the same privilege life he got to enjoy when he stole business secrets from his employer and enabled him to have an upper hand on the others. The problem with the film is we never really cared about these people and their insignificant troubles. Mike Binder, who created this film knows first hand how that segment of the film population acts and gives the viewer a bird's eye view of the shallowness of it all.

• I liked it but it's not a comedy

  mn_aqua2006-11-09

  I liked the movie. Ben was funny and Rebecca Romijn lovely and very attractive. Both gave a mature performance, and the characters they portrayed were real and convincing. But the movie contained more drama than comedy. A few times I laughed, but overall this movie had a serious message about how to cope with people's imperfection (and your own). Psychological themed movies always are presented as comedy (hence the casting of John Cleese, the neurotic par example) but that's just to make it not too heavy. I liked the message of the movie though. All together the movie is a nice distraction, and some people may learn from it. Especially if you are a fan of Ben, this is a must-see.

• Excellent film, great performances all around

  TysynnTrace2006-11-09

  Honestly this film surprised me. After sitting through Surviving Christmas I didn't think I'd give Affleck another chance. But he pulls off an exceptional performance here, nailing every emotional scene as well as comedic. The rest of the cast was great as well, with only Rebecca Romin turning in a so so performance. Definitely check this out if you're into movies like American Beauty, where comedy and drama mesh well and create something poignant. Also, if you feel that you're at a point in your life where you have no clue what you're doing, check this film out. It'll help. You'll feel better. 9/10.