 You probably know Peter Riegert. He first
hit the big screen in 1978 as Donald “Boon” Schoenstein
in the landmark party film, Animal House.
From there, he has built a lengthy resume of film roles, some
large, most small, that amount to a career to be respected
despite being well under mega-star status. Certainly nothing
to be ashamed about.
Neither is Riegert's first turn as a feature-length film
director, King Of The Corner, a sometimes
funny, sometimes touching look at life, love, family and growing
older.
King
Of The Corner, co-written with Gerald Shapiro, is
an ostensibly Jewish but entirely gentile-friendly tale of
a middle aged man making his way through life the way all
hard-working schleps do – one day at a time. Leo Spivak,
played by Riegert, goes to work. He comes home. He goes to
work. He comes home. Sometimes he visits his elderly, always-complaining
father (played brilliantly by Eli Wallach). Sometimes he tries
to rein in his rebellious teenage daughter. But mostly he
pulls himself through each day. Again. And again. And again.
This being the movies, you know what happens next. Problems
arise. Not one problem, or even two, but one after another
after another. Leo goes from a comfortable (if rather boring)
existence to one crowded with personal turmoil, outlandish
situations, and a mounting sense that he has no control over
the events in his life.
In other words, it's a lot like real life.
 There
is very little unexpected or surprising in what unfolds. Job
trouble, family troubles, and the growing sense that life
has somehow left him behind give Leo plenty to work through.
It's not spoiling things to say that life doesn't turn out
to be so bad by the end of this semi-comedy. We share some
laughs. We maybe share a few tears. And life goes on. But
here that's not as much a flaw as it is a comfort. It's very
easy to share in Leo's joys and in his pains because they
are, in many ways, so very usual. Oh, sure, there's
the outlandish “freelance” rabbi (a delightful
and hilarious role for Eric Bogosian) and a scene between
Leo and the husband of a woman he went to high school with
that you'd be hard-pressed to imagine come from the same reality
you  and
I share, but by and large this is mundane - comfortably mundane – stuff. The boss ready to fire you. The daughter
who just won't listen. The increasingly distant wife. The
annoying father. And so on. The excellent cast – Riegert,
Wallach and Bogosian are joined by Isabella Rossellini, Dominic
Chianese, and Beverly D'angelo, among others – do a
fine job of drawing you into their world. Characters are established
quickly and effectively, allowing you to simply sit back and
watch them stumble through life's low points.
King Of The Corner isn't without its flaws.
While billed as a comedy, your belly won't hurt from laughter
- nor is it a full-on drama. Maybe unclear of what it wants
to be, or maybe unclear of where it wants to go, King
Of The Corner, like Leo Spivak, sometimes tends to drift. It wants to tell several stories at once,
just like it wants to be several things at once, and these
competing factors only end up muddying one another.
But these flaws are fairly minor in the context of what is
a generally enjoyable, warm comedy about coping with family
and all the annoyances life can throw at you.
 Presentation
Star Wars this isn't
... which is to say, you're not going to be looking for incredible
visuals here. The picture looks just fine, nice and crisp,
never washed out or grainy. Colors are bright and the outdoors
scenes look warm and inviting. The picture does what it needs
to do. Nothing more, nothing less.
Same
with the sound. The Dolby stereo sound is clear, sometimes
mixed a bit low, but otherwise fine for this mostly talky
film. The Dolby Surround is the same, but with more channels.
(Duh.) You're certainly not going to be trotting it out to
show off your system, but that's not what kind of film this
is, anyway.
Extras
Ardustry Home Entertainment has put
together a nice little package for what is a rather small
little film. King Of The Corner features
a solid commentary by Riegert, who is funny and informative,
and who obviously loves having stepped into the world of directing.
The
Wandering Jew is a nice short documentary on Riegart's
tireless promotional efforts for the film, showing him trek
from place to place in a bid to get the word out. It's not
densely packed with information, but it does give you an appreciation
for the work and love he put into this film.
 The
real highlight of the extras is By Courier, an Academy
Award-nominated short film directed by Riegert. The premise
is simple. A well-spoken man, cast aside by his refined country
woman for a perceived slight, seeks to ask her back with the
help of a brash-talking young man. A simply hilarious look
at how the same message can be conveyed in wildly different
ways. Worth the price of admission for this gem alone.
Finally,
a few trailers round out the extras.
The
Bottom Line
That King Of The Corner is not my type of film but I found myself enjoying it anyway
should be telling. It's dry, wry, and has a lot of heart.
Full of warmth and a “straight” comedic take on
human drama, this film gets Riegert's directing career off
on a good foot. A worthwhile way to spend 90 minutes or so.
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