The Extra Man

What happens when you take a aspiring young playwright, send him to a derelict New York apartment building and have him rent a room from an eccentric fellow who escorts wealthy women to social functions?

This is the plot for the movie shown at the opening night Gala for the 2010 Seattle International Film Festival. One of the writer/producers, Robert Pulcini ("The Nanny Diaries"), explained that he had griped to Jonathan Ames (lots of TV) that there are NO comedies for adults being written any more. They teamed up and wrote this quirky little piece.
In the cast, we see:

• Paul Dano ("There Will Be Blood") is a writer who can't tell whether his fascination with cross-dressing is curiosity or compulsion. Dano is the last person I would expect to see in a comedy, but he manages just fine.
• Kevin Kline ("Definitely, Maybe") is the roommate from hell: Has a bad back, is impatient, loves clutter and has no impulse control.
• Katie Holmes ("Mad Money") is a vegan co-worker at the "green" magazine that hires our writer; she catches our hero's eye.
• John C. Reilly ("Chicago") is the fearsomely bearded neighbor who fixes things; he speaks in a truly annoying falsetto.

I can't say that this is predictable, because it isn't; I can't say it is hysterically funny, because it isn't; I can't say it is insightful, because it isn't. But I CAN say I was entertained.