Jeff Garlin: Our Man in Chicago

[StevePulaski]

Jeff Garlin: Our Man in Chicago (2019)
Directed by: Christopher Storer

Jeff Garlin performs his debut Netflix special in his hometown of Chicago.

Rating: ★★

Jeff Garlin: Our Man in Chicago was recorded, unintentionally by the way, on the 37th anniversary of Garlin's start in comedy. The 57-year-old Chicago native has carved out a very successful career for himself, culminating with a supporting role on a long-running HBO program, along with an ABC sitcom, fruitful tours, a few directorial efforts, and a plethora of films to boot. While watching his debut Netflix special, it took me a good ten minutes before realizing I had never watched Garlin perform stand-up until this one. I hope his next effort is a bit more impressive.

I'll say this too: it's very difficult for me to criticize Garlin meaningfully. The man is a big bowl of jovial enthusiasm, with his hoarse Chicago accent and aggressively likable demeanor shining through in believable, everyman fashion. Even in his dramatized role on Curb Your Enthusiasm, he appears as if he'd be the neighbor to let you use his snowblower in a snowstorm without a second thought. This makes it harder to say this about Our Man in Chicago. It's not that good.

Garlin's special lacks the kind of structure and poise that seasoned comedians have. It plays more like a Kevin Smith Q&A session, with Garlin hopscotching from discussing his strangest stand-up gigs to overcoming his compulsive overeating. It makes for a very schizophrenic special, despite the sporadic laughs it does provide.

Some of the biggest, in fact, come at the expense of a pair of young people attending Garlin's show and sitting in the front row. Garlin asks the male, Jamie, if he the woman next to him is his girlfriend or wife. "Friend from college," he replies. That gives Garlin enough ammunition for a three minute hypothetical that the woman, Lydia, is obviously dating an unlikable man, at least in Jamie's eyes, much to his dismay. He expounds on about how Jamie's feelings for Lydia will always be unrequited until they rekindle in a place like Milwaukee on a business trip in another decade or two when they each have their own families. Relatability on my behalf aside, it's a fun bit, and Garlin plays off the audience rather smoothly yet awkwardly, in a predictably charming manner, showing a little Larry David has rubbed off of him after working alongside him for the last 20 years.

However, at a mere 58 minutes, without much cohesion from topic-to-topic, and a handful of chuckles, Jeff Garlin: Our Man in Chicago doesn't leave the impact we know the veteran comic can do so effortlessly.

Directed by: Christopher Storer.