Club Land (2001)

This period drama, much of it set in a musical supper club, takes the viewer inside a unique profession, that of talent management at a time the business was changing. The examination of a father-son relationship under intense pressure is somewhat overwrought, but veteran Alan Alda and Steven Weber, who also wrote the script, do well in keeping much of the melodrama from boiling over. There's no villain, so the dramatic friction must come from the heat between the main characters, but, unfortunately, Stuey seems to give up about half-way through. The best scenes are those involving the comedians and singers in the Walters' stable, with Brad Garrett turning in a disturbingly convincing performance as Lou Montana, an arrogant, obnoxious comedian whose stock in trade is insulting everyone he meets. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide