Danny McBride

It’s been almost two years since we’ve been able to watch the neurotic adventures of Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Ask him if the show is coming back for a ninth season and you might get any number of responses, none of which will answer your question. Are you missing the show? Do you wish he’d just make up his mind and let the world know if the show will return or not? If you’re that much of a die-hard look no further than HBO’s CLEAR HISTORY, also known as CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: THE MOVIE. You’d be surprised at how close to the truth that title is.

One look at the cast assembled for CLEAR HISTORY and you can’t help but get interested. Jon Hamm, Amy Ryan, Bill Hader, Michael Keaton, Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes, Danny McBride, Liev Schreiber, and Philip Baker Hall all co-star and make you believe this is going to be something big. Something huge. In the very least, something different for Larry David. What we get is a lot of top-notch actors getting to guest star in the world’s longest episode of CURB. Even director, Greg Motolla seems irrelevant here. The quirks he brought to films such as SUPERBAD, ADVENTURELAND, and PAUL seem non-existent when up against the writing of David, Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Jeff Schaffer (the collected brain behind CURB).  Chances are if you were looking forward to the film, you’re a fan of David. And the fact that he hasn’t been around too often for the last couple years (THREE STOOGES aside) this might be the exact dosage you need of his foot being stuffed in his mouth over and over.

CLEAR HISTORY is the story of  Nathan Flomm (David) and his dozens of missed opportunities. He opts out of an electric car company just as they go from start-up operation to billion dollar phenomenon. The laughing stock of the planet, Flomm shaves everything above his neck and moves away to start a new life under a fake name. The attitude, however, can’t be faked and Flomm soon finds himself in a pile of awkward conversations ten years after the fact. When his old boss (Hamm) shows up in his quiet little community, Flomm see a chance to right everything he’s done wrong. None of this turns out well.

The Seinfeld/Curb inspired social retardation is here. Flomm essentially asks “What’s the deal with power outlets?” and so-on-and-so-forth for the entire movie as the people around him try to live in the real world. Other than Keaton, who plays a decent semi-psychotic hillbilly, nobody truly stands out in the cast. Although, there’s something refreshing about hearing Hamm drop a solid F-bomb early in the film. You know Don Draper would like to let loose a few dozen times in every episode of Mad Men. By the time J.B. Smoove shows up and challenges David’s character about being a racist, there is literally no way of knowing whether or not you’re watching CURB.

Reading this back, it kind of sounds like I was disappointed. In a way, I was. I’m a big CURB fan and have followed David pretty closely since the Seinfeld days, but I thought this was going to branch out a little. At the same time, I really miss Curb and am happy to have a brand new extended edition to fill the void. Even if it is packaged differently. The story is funny, if not completely predictable, and Larry David does a great job as Larry David. Again.

Rating: 6.5/10