The Extra Man – Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Reviews, Reviews

It’s always interesting to see what an actor does after they achieve some level of stardom. Paul Dano could’ve taken much more high profile roles after Little Miss Sunshine became a sleeper hit. Looking at the slate of films that featured a quirky young guy, Dano could’ve easily been in any number of them. But Dano did something unexpected; he kept doing the indie films that had led him to Sunshine and has never looked back. Despite a handful of supporting of roles in studio pictures, he’s been working fairly regularly on the indie scene in lead roles. Thus leading him to The Extra Man.

Dano stars as Louis, a teacher between jobs who moves to Manhattan to try and find himself. Finding a roommate in the eccentric Henry Harrison (Kevin Kline), and a co-worker (Katie Holmes) to have a crush on, Louis finds himself drawn into both Harrison’s bizarre worlds as well as his own strange proclivities. Harrison is an “extra man” who is there to escort older debutantes, harking back to an older era where a proper woman would not go out without an escort. When not teaching he works as this style of extra man, arguing that he isn’t just extra: he’s essential.

The Extra Man had a brief sojourn into theatres before finding itself to video for one reason: it doesn’t know exactly what it’s trying to do as a film. Part screwball comedy from the 1950s, a film about platonic friendship and another part character piece about two mismatched roommates, Extra is best described as uneven. The film has so much going on, and trying to balance a number of different plot lines, that the film never really finds a tone it wants to follow. At certain points we follow Louis and Henry’s unconventional living situation and right when it finds a unique vantage point it shifts to something completely else. It throws off the film’s rhythm and keeps it from finding its focus.

When it is in focus it’s a relatively amusing film. Kline and Dano make for an amusing combination as they have a good dynamic based on two things: Kline going as over the top as he can and Dano watching in amusement. Kline, who has a history of taking only projects which he believes in and wants to do, seems to be relishing an opportunity to play a character that’s as much a buffoon as he’s known for playing. Kline takes a borderline unlikable character and makes him into somewhat of a mentor figure for Louis; he seems to be having the time of his life just going completely over the top in every possible manner. It’s almost endearing in a way.

And that’s what The Extra Man is; almost endearing. It gets so close to being an interesting film but never quite gets there.

In a widescreen format with a Dolby Digital surround, this is a spectacular looking film despite its indie status. This is a film with a lot of great color and dialogue, coming through wonderfully.

There are two Commentary Tracks.

There’s a Deleted Scene that doesn’t add anything back into the film.

Cartoon Clip Voiceover Recording is a voiceover session on the film’s brief animated scene.

There’s a Behind the Scenes piece about the film’s score and how it was challenging because of the wild variety of genres meshed together in the film.

HD Net took a look at the film in a rather brief manner.

The Extra Man came and went with little fanfare from theatres because it just couldn’t find a niche in a crowded indie market. It’s mainly due to the fact that it can’t focus on being one specific thing, as opposed to a combination of a lot of other things, but it does have a strangely brilliant performance from Kevin Kline.


Magnolia Home Entertainment presents The Extra Man. Written and Directed by Written by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini based off the novel “The Extra Man” by Jonathan Ames. Starring Katie Holmes, Kevin Kline, Paul Dano. Running time:107 minutes. Rated R. Released on Blu-ray and DVD: November 16, 2010.