Man About Town (2006)

A top Hollywood talent agent finds his cushy existence threatened when he discovers that his wife is cheating on him and that his journal has been swiped by a reporter out to bring him down.

Director:

Mike Binder

Writer:

Mike Binder

Stars:

Ben Affleck, Rebecca Romijn, John Cleese

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Affleck	...	Jack Giamoro
Rebecca Romijn	...	Nina Giamoro
John Cleese	...	Dr. Primkin
Sam Ball	...	Jimmy Dooley (as Samuel Ball)
Mike Binder	...	Morty
Erica Cerra	...	Sela
Gina Gershon	...	Arlene Kreiner
Adam Goldberg	...	Phil Balow
Howard Hesseman	...	Ben Giamoro
Bai Ling	...	Barbi Ling
Jerry O'Connell	...	David Lilly
Kal Penn	...	Alan Fineberg
Amber Valletta	...	Brynn Lilly
Damien Dante Wayans	...	Lucky Reynolds
Laura Soltis	...	Barbara Giamoro

Storyline

A top Hollywood talent agent finds his cushy existence threatened when he discovers that his wife is cheating on him and that his journal has been swiped by a reporter out to bring him down.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | journal | cartoon on tv | blonde | buck teeth | 

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Taglines:

Sometime, love can shake your world

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual content and a scene of violence

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Jack goes up and writes something on the board for Dr. Primkin at the end of the film, he underlines it. In the next shot it is not underlined.

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Quotes

Dr. Primkin: It's like hidden gold under a 20 ft. pile of horseshit! Nobody wants to dig through it, but guess what? It's in there. The truth, waiting patiently under all the horseshit that is the buildup of our silly little lives! So, go in and get it, people. Dig for the truth!

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Connections

References Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

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Soundtracks

Basic Instinct
Written by Jerry Goldsmith

User Reviews

A worthwhile drama

My expectations for this movie were pretty low. Ben Affleck's resume is very much hit and miss, with the misses being sometimes being of epic proportion. As well, I had seen two recent movies by director Mike Bender (Upside of Anger and Reign over Me) which certainly did not live up to praises and high ratings they received. It was thus with skepticism that I decided to kill time watching Man About Town, expecting a total dud. I was proved wrong.

Much like its successor Reign Over Me, the main character here is going through issues and everything is rather organic and poignantly directed, contrary to the usual remote third person view employed in "safer" Hollywood work. There are some light comedic moments here but what makes them work is how human and heartfelt the struggles are depicted. And while Ben Affleck will never be the second coming of a Ed Norton or Anthony Hopkins, here he gives a very honest and balanced performance and we cannot help but sympathize with this character caught in the artificial life of Los Angeles and talent agencies.

If anything, one plot tread about his book takes perhaps too much importance in what is otherwise a sober treatment of character and the issues he has to deal with in his personal and professional life. The entire cast is extremely good and was well chosen, although it does feel like they could have done more with John Cleese. One exception: I really felt Bai Ling was off in her performance.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable movie with a satisfying conclusion instead of the usual eye-rolling fest with the easy way out.

Details

Official Sites:

Media 8 Entertainment

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 2006 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Man About Town

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,165,186

Company Credits

Production Co:

Media 8 Entertainment, Sunlight Productions, Man About Town Films Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1