The Extra Man: movie review
Kevin Kline tends to give bravura performances even when he鈥檚 not playing bravura characters. In 鈥淭he Extra Man,鈥� he might as well be playing a variation on Jon Lovitz鈥檚 Master Thespian from 鈥�Saturday Night Live.鈥� He鈥檚 terrifically entertaining without being altogether believable.
He plays Henry Harrison, a college literature professor who lives in a crummy New York apartment and whose views on sex and women 鈥渁re to the right of the pope.鈥� Dressed like a dandy from the 1920s, he takes in a boarder, Paul Dano鈥檚 Louis Ives, who was recently let go as an instructor at an English prep school because of his predilection for cross-dressing.
Louis is not, to put it mildy, Henry鈥檚 ideal pick for a roommate, but, inevitably, they become friends 鈥� perhaps because Henry is more interested in becoming his mentor than his scold. The directing team of Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman (鈥�American Splendor鈥�), collaborating with Jonathan Ames on the adapation of his novel, overplay a rather weak hand, but there are fine, wry moments tucked inside the curdled whimsy. Grade: B (Rated R for some sexual content.)
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