A poignant and humorous look at a man in search of a soul mate. James is a frustrated and underappreciated Chicago actor who lives with his mother and has only really wanted three things in life: someone to love him, a great part, and to lose weight. Unfortunately, he is 0 for 3. His girlfriend dumps him, he loses the title role in a remake of Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty" to teen idol Aaron Carter, and he sneaks out of an Overeaters Anonymous meeting only to wind up at an ice cream parlor. There, he meets Beth who quickly wins his heart but will this cause James more problems than it solves? Or has he finally found someone to eat cheese with. - skip ad - Genres: Comedy Running Time: 1 hr. 20 min. Release Date: September 5th, 2007 (limited) MPAA Rating: Not Rated Distributor: First Take (IFC) Cast And Credits Starring: Jeff Garlin, Sarah Silverman, Richard Kind, Amy Sedaris, Bonnie Hunt Directed by: Jeff Garlin Produced by: David Miner (II), Harold Ramis, Rob Kolson

In his first feature as writer-director, "Curb Your Enthusiasm's" Jeff Garlin has crafted a winningly low-key "Marty" lite, bringing a Jewish, showbiz spin to the tale of an overweight man still living with his mother. "I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With" -- the cri du coeur of the sad sack at the story's center -- is an enjoyable, if slight, valentine to Garlin's native Chicago and old-fashioned romance, with nods along the way to vintage coffee shops, homemade kugel and Jackie Gleason.

The comedy, a late addition to the recent Los Angeles Film Festival, makes good use of some of Garlin's fellow Second City alumni: Bonnie Hunt, Amy Sedaris, Dan Castellaneta and David Pasquesi. And though his script only loosely connects scenes and shtick, Garlin's assured directorial touch infuses the proceedings with generosity and heart.

Mina Kolb, who plays Garlin's character's mother on "Curb," does so here as well, bringing a believable mix of maternal manipulation and understanding to the part. When he's not home with her or working, 39-year-old actor James (Garlin) fills his nonworking hours with junk-food binges, aimless perambulation and visits with his best friend (Pasquesi). After he's unceremoniously dumped by a Second City colleague, James succumbs to an attractive ice-cream parlor wacko (Sarah Silverman) and begins a tentative flirtation with a slightly more grounded, jazz-loving schoolteacher (Hunt).

A vague sense of career purpose takes hold when he learns that his favorite film, "Marty," is being remade -- in typically idiotic fashion, by people who wouldn't know Paddy Chayefsky from Patti LuPone.

Garlin also takes swipes at reality TV: At the beginning of the film, James quits his stint on the cruel and stupid "Smear Job," a show directed with pointless gusto by Charlie (frequent "Curb" cast member Paul Mazursky).

Garlin's terrific comic timing is a key attribute, as is that of his strong cast, which also includes Wallace Langham, Roger Bart and Richard Kind. From both sides of the camera, he knows how to let these comedy masters shine.