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Movie Review
Blending the Serious and the Funny
Funny People
8:00 am Aug 1 - by Sarah Gorr – buzz Writer
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Funny People
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MPAA Rating: RCurrent Showtimes: No showtimes available
In Funny People, it quite literally pays to be funny. However, one shouldn’t walk into the theatre expecting the big belly laughs of writer/director Judd Apatow’s previous hits like Superbad or The 40-Year-Old Virgin; his newest venture is far more subdued. Funny People is much more about funny people finding themselves in situations anything but and trying to find a way to grapple with that discrepancy.
The film stars Adam Sandler as George Simmons who is more or less a fictionalized version of Sandler, as he is a wildly successful and wealthy comedian. But Simmons has a secret: he’s been diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of leukemia. Seth Rogen, however, plays Ira Wright, a young and struggling comedian determined to climb the ranks in his own right. When the two meet by chance at an open mic, Simmons offers Ira the job of lifetime as his writer and assistant. As Simmons’s life begins to spiral out of control, Ira finds himself struggling under the weight of the pressure as his only friend and confidante.
Apatow’s departure from his previous films shows in Funny People’s blend of heartfelt seriousness and brilliantly executed guy-centered humor. Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill provide an excellent supporting cast, but where the film truly shines is in its segments centered on stand-up. The variance in performance in relation not so much to who the actors are (although that clearly plays a part), but to who their characters in the film are, is truly brilliant. Ira’s progression with his stand-up throughout the course of the film feels genuinely spot on and Simmon’s first performance after hearing news of his disease is perfectly off kilter.
The film’s opening scene as the title credits rolled is perhaps the most ingenious and the scene that lent the most legitimacy to the story. It features what appears to be home videos of a very, very young Adam Sandler, or rather George Simmons, making prank phone calls with friends. The footage, whether genuine or doctored, quickly and brilliantly sets up who George was only to immediately juxtapose it with who he is today: a man alone in a mansion.
While the film was not without its faults, such as running a bit long at almost two and a half hours and dragging out the segment dealing with Simmons and his estranged ex-wife, it still marks Apatow as today’s leading man in comedy. Funny People reminds audiences that he can do more than write an original fart joke, even if that fart joke has one laughing until one is gasping for air. A fantastic peek behind the scenes of comedy and Sandler’s best role in years, Funny People is a definite success.
Sound Off
Last post: Aug. 7, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Andy Herren (Andy Herren) said on Aug. 6, 2009 at 12:11 pm:
I agree with you, Sarah. The last act really lagged. I was rooting for this movie during its first 2/3, and would still certainly recommend it...but it was, for me, Apatow's weakest film. I don't have a problem with a film about unlikable characters, as long as the story keeps me invested. I was totally invested for the first hour and 45 minutes, but trailed off at the end. A half hour could have been shaved from the movie as well.
Oh, and James Taylor totally stole the show with two lines.
Sarah (unregistered user) said on Aug. 7, 2009 at 12:27 pm:
It's more about the funny than the people. But I was totally ok with that for a majority of the film.
Matt Carey (Matthew Carey) said on Aug. 4, 2009 at 3:06 pm:
Didn't like this movie. Not one likable character in the entire film. That, and the jokes about Rogen's dick stopped being funny after the third time, but then they did about 20 more jokes about it. Way too many subplots makes the film unnecessarily long. Apatow desperately needs an editor. Some funny moments, but overall a major disappointment in my opinion.