Directors: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini (The Young and the Dead)

What we have here is a biopic about Harvey Pekar, a minor cult figure living in the Rust Belt of the US who learned to channel the angst, drudgery and misfortune of his life into a cathartic outlet called American Splendor. To reveal more would spoil the entertainment value to be found upon first meeting, then getting to know, this singular individual. I had a sketchy outline of the American underground comic scene and its main players before I saw this movie, but I knew nothing of American Splendor itself. In fact, I was quietly bemoaning yet another release of a film title starting with the word American. It was pleasing to discover that this American moniker predates the current trend by, oh, a few decades.

American Splendor is the perfect companion piece to the engrossing documentary Crumb (1994) – about artist Robert Crumb – and more fictional flirtations with the comic scene such as Ghost World (2000) and to a lesser extent Chasing Amy (1997). Actually, if you are unfamiliar with this particular cultural terrain, it would help to see Crumb first, or at least track down some data about the celebrated illustrator and his work before watching American Splendor. It establishes an important context for what happens to Harvey Pekar, making the telling of the story more fascinating as the narrative follows him from one scuzzy milestone to another.

The filmmaker's approach to this warts-and-all saga is as quirky as its protagonist Mr Pekar, who also co-wrote the screenplay. Let me just say there are more than a few unorthodox touches that should put a smile on the face of any jaded film-goer, blurring the line between fantasy and reality while also enhancing the autobiographical content and emotional impact.

Short, pudgy actor Paul Giamatti, who provided the comic relief in Tim Burton's underrated remake of The Planet of the Apes (2001), handles the lead role with the right mix of hubris and sympathy. He gives the impression of being in on the joke without letting the narrative slip away from the audience – which threatens to happen a number of times but never does. The rest of the cast (real or otherwise) fill out their duties respectably, too. You will find out exactly how accurate their portrayals are when you see this bitterly humorous picture. Fantastic!

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