Curb Your Enthusiasm Review: Larry David Against Social Norms
9/10 — Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
Pros
- Intricate, escalating plots
- Natural improvised dialogue
- Great supporting cast
Cons
- Cringe may be too much
- Looser later seasons
Larry David plays a heightened version of himself, a retired TV writer who gets into embarrassing conflicts over small social conventions. The series is largely improvised from outlines.
What works
The plots pay off in clever, intricate ways, and the improvised dialogue feels natural. Larry’s feuds, from the ‘chat and cut’ to the ‘sample abuser’, are comedy gold, and Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines and Susie Essman are great foils.
Where it falters
Larry is deliberately unlikeable, and the humour is often cringe-inducing. A few later seasons are looser.
Verdict
Painfully funny and sharp, a modern comedy classic.
