Big Fan is not The Wrestler. (If you haven't seen The Wrestler yet, go rent it right now.) That's an odd way to start, perhaps, but worth noting. Both films, of course, were written by Robert Siegel, and Big Fan marks his directorial debut. But if you walk into this picture expecting the same emotional wallop of last year's tour de force, you will be disappointed. That said, Big Fan is worth seeing. Its story follows Paul Aufiero, a parking garage attendant, who lives with his mother, and breathes only for the New York Football Giants. It's sad to watch him go about his day with such a singular but inconsequential obsession. And if his impotence weren't enough, we also see him endure pestering from concerned family members who, while clearly living the American dreams of some, lead perceptibly shallow lives themselves and offer nothing of interest to an inveterate Paul.
Things take a surly turn when Paul and his best friend spot their favorite Giants player — the cannily named Quantrell Bishop — and follow him to a night club where a misunderstanding lands Paul in the hospital for days. Qunatrell is suspended, and what follows is as unbelievable as it is utterly plausible. Don't be surprised if you find your jaw slackening as Paul scrapes toward the climax.
Patton Oswalt's performance delivers soundly, including some delightful disgust as Paul prepares for his decisive act. Where this character is lacking though, is in development. Big Fan offers more of a portrait than any kind of arc, and while this is obviously the film's purpose, it gives us nothing to root for; our hopes are dashed almost before they're formed. I wonder if this character could have struggled more with himself and still retained his essential single-mindedness. (Heck, Rain Man did.) As it is, he may be the spitting image of a die-hard writ extreme, but a more pronounced conflict might have furnished a more satisfying richness. Whereas Randy the Ram battles his demons a tragic hero, Paul from Staten Island is just tragic, no hero at all.
