Ethically Made Film

Jeff Garlin hosts screening of 'I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With' at IFC Center.

Originally published in Jester's Blog, 9/9/07

Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" sidekick Jeff Garlin gets to step out on his own with "I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With," a sweet and amusing film, seen at the IFC Center Sept. 8 with Garlin taking questions in person afterward (Now on DVD, to purchase, click here or see below).

With "Cheese," Garlin gets to be the protagonist instead of the straight man to David's lunacy (which returns for its new season tonight, by the way). The film feels less constructed and more real than "Curb" (not that there's anything wrong with "Curb," to borrow a phrase from its maker). Garlin portrays all the moments of awkwardness and not getting it right in romance that we're all familiar with.

At the showing, Garlin is inevitably asked about David, and his opinion of the movie. In a quick impersonation of David, Garlin answered that he didn't like the title ending with a preposition. "You can't do that," Garlin mimicked. But it is important to note that Garlin made a point of not asking David for financing for the movie. "I didn't want the movie to be seen as just a favor Larry did," said Garlin. "He gets asked for money all the time. And believe me that would have been a lot easier and taken a lot less time than doing it the way I did (of raising funds piecemeal from different sources)."

So not only is "Cheese" a good movie, one can actually see it knowing it was made ethically by a mensch, which might be a rare thing these days.