Curb Your Expatriatism, written and directed by Matthew Bauer and co-written by Eric Elofson and Stephanie Gardner, begins when a lonely American (Allan F. Nicholls) in Singapore decides to crash a television award party. The catch is that he disguises himself as Larry David in this hidden camera short that’s Curb Your Enthusiasm meets Borat.
Nicholls is a very convincing Larry David doppelganger. Bauer nails the aesthetic of the early seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Nicholls moves and bobs around Singapore with the charming aloofness of Larry David. When no one seems to recognize him at the event, Nicholls walks around awkwardly, evoking the hilarity of an actual episode.
“…a lonely American in Singapore decides to crash a television award party…he disguises himself as Larry David…”
Unfortunately, the short doesn’t follow its feet with going full Larry David. Most of this plays out like a silent film, relying on the actor’s physical humor. It’s disappointing to see a hidden camera spoof not take the idea to its heightened potential. It very well could be that nothing notable happened while filming Curb Your Expatriatism. This would mean there was nothing really worth showing in the final cut.
As it stands, Curb Your Expatriatism fails to justify its existence because its main actor doesn’t go full Larry David. He never injects himself insultingly into conversation with strangers, as often so happened on the beloved sitcom. In the words of Larry David, this film is “…eh.”
"…nails the aesthetic of the early seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm."
