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Big Fan (2009) is the directorial debut of Robert D. Siegel, most famously known as being the writer of the Darren Aronofsky directed film The Wrestler. I bring that fact up not only because it is relevant but also because it gives a good comparing work to use in reviewing Big Fan.

Patton Oswalt stars as a loner New York Giants fan who still lives in his mothers basement and nightly calls into his local sports radio station giving Philadelphia Eagles fans hell while at the same time pushing for his own Giants team. To Oswalts Paul Aufiero this is the life he wants, the life he choses, he has no delusions of greater things and when presented with a realization he could have had, represented by his lawyer brother, he only gets sickened by the thought. I don't know if Paul is necessarily lonely or if he has found his own version of being content in his small world of fan-dome and sports radio. The characterization of Paul's intentions is an interesting question that is never presented with an answer which in a way hurts the movies ending and motivations.

Now lets start talking about Siegels direction and comparing it to that of Aronofsky's in The Wrestler. Lately on this blog I have talked about several films where a first time director has hurt their writing by taking on both duties, this film is no exception. Siegel tries to infuse Big Fan with a grit and naturalism very similar to what Aronofsky did in The Wrestler but instead leaves moments feeling hollow and unemotional. Where as you watch a master director like Aronofsky he can take that same tone and transcend it into a collective memory for his audience, or a moment of emotional truth. Since both films are character peaces then they obviously depend on their main actors both of which were good (Rourke was unbelievable) but Siegels direction added nothing to the character or the moments that character was having. Big Fan is a good start for Siegel but he needs more experience behind the camera to really make a worthwhile powerful small film.

One aspect of this film I really enjoyed is something I am calling "taking a look behind the radio". I often listen to sports radio here in Boston and wonder who these guys are that continually call into the same shows day after day. Here Big Fan gives you a chance to see the other side of a very one sided relationship. Paul Aufiero could be one of many guys or gals calling into my local sports radio shows, and gives me something to latch onto in that aspect.

Now lets get into the very hyped performance of Patton Oswalt. Oswalt is no doubt good here, and does not hurt the film, but I am getting the strong suspicion that people are confusing stillness and lack of emotion with great acting. Oswalt is not getting at anything profound here, and this harkens back to my argument of motivation. I think there has been a tendency in the past few years that if you film a person in this verite, realistic, gritty way, that if they are just still enough then you have a good performance, and that is not true. In Big Fan we are starting to see the realization of this backwards thinking and I am here to try to nip it in the butt before it goes to far.

There is nothing about Big Fan that makes me want to say to someone, go see this movie. I hope Siegel learns from this movie and can improve upon it in the future.

**1/2