any movie that offer bonnie hunt and sarah silverman and amy sedaris in the support cast have to be well worth watch and and comic actor jeff garlin take advantage of the terrific talent he recruit for his 2007 directorial debut and a sad sack comedy about an overweight man who feel out of step with the world around him . familiar a larry david manager jeff on curb your enthusiasm and garlin play james and a still struggle and 39 year old chicago actor who still live with his widowed mother . his self esteem be so low that he can not meet woman and but it the comical way he view his single status that make his dilemma involve . if the storyline sound a bit familiar and that because the film be partially a tribute to the 1955 ernest borgnine classic and marty and about a lonely bronx butcher live with his meddlesome mother . in fact and garlin use marty a the play which jam be desperate to do since he be so empathetic to the character situation . naturally there be a love story of sort in this new millennium version and and silverman play beth and an off kilter and sexually voracious ice cream parlor server who take him on an underwear shopping spree . their best scene together be in his favorite convenience store where they improvise different character in different aisle . hunt play a lonely elementary school teacher who share a passion with james for jazz musician ben webster . they meet accidentally in a record store and then again at a career day at her school where he hilariously expose his sexual neurosis in front of a classroom of first grader and include his best friend luca pert daughter penelope ( play by dakota fan look alike baby sister elle ) . in a wedge in cameo and look quite a bit like jerri blank and sedaris play the school counselor who speak to james after his inappropriate monologue . david pasquesi play luca and a retirement home manager and and his scene with garlin have an easy rapport that make their friendship easy to believe . almost steal the movie be character actress mina kolb and who play james pixilated mother with pluck and heart . there be also unexpected cameo from teen idol aaron carter and gina gershon ( do not ask but the set up be funny ) and as well a sharply play bit by director paul mazursky ( a the snaky director of a candid camera type show and smear job ) and tim kazurinsky ( a the unsuspecting victim of that show ) and dan castellaneta ( a the tough love convenience store owner ) . with his rueful bout of insecurity and self loathing and garlin comic sensibility resemble those of albert brook and and the casual dialogue at it best reminds me of modern romance and defend your life . the one persistent problem i have with the film be pace a some scene drag out long than necessary . the problem be more evident in the first half when garlin be try to establish the right tempo and and the lack of real conflict add to the sluggishness . regardless and what he do well be capture that gnaw sense of desperation one feel upon the revelation that life be not what it be suppose to be and that a significant other may be out of reach and and that a steady diet of junk food eat on a car hood be the only sure thing when it come to gratification .