 Jake LaMotta would've made a hell of a comedian |
| Review Date: November 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: S. Rosen, NJ USA |
Judd Apatow's Funny People is going to divide audiences (it certainly has divided critics). Those going in expecting a comedy along the lines of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up or any other of the films in the Apatow-verse will enjoy it but not love it. But that reaction may be more a product of the misdirection in the marketing of the film than anything else. Funny People is going for something more emotionally complex, and it succeeds on that count.
Without dwelling on plot, the film focuses, by and large, on the professional and personal lives of a group of comics and comic actors at various rungs of the show business ladder, from Adam Sandler's George Simmons, a hugely successful film comedy star who came out of the stand-up comedy world, to Seth Rogan's Ira Wright, a novice comic who is drawn into George's world, to Ira's friends, who are his roommates, who are his competitors.
The common thread running through these characters is anger and aggression, both explicit and sublimated. They steal jokes, jobs and women from each other (listed here in order of importance to the comics). The relationship between the performers and their audiences is similarly complicated (it's become a cliched observation that comics talk about "killing" the crowd).
Interestingly, although all the comedians share this anger and aggression, it's only those who ride those dark emotions into similarly dark comedy that have preserved their spark. The farther the comics stray from their anger, the worse their comedy - as evidenced by Sandler's character, who churns out family-friendly claptrap and co-star Jason Schwartzman's Yo, Teach!, a self-important sitcom (both brilliantly captured in clips woven into Funny People).
In Funny People, comedy is the universal language by which these emotionally-constricted characters communicate. There are awkward hugs and half-hearted attempts at compassion, but the most tender moment, coming late in the film, involves one character expressing love by writing jokes for another.
All this aside, I don't want to lose sight of the fact that this is a funny, entertaining, emotionally-involving film. But that said, in an odd way, Funny People echoes Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. Both films are about angry and aggressive people who channel those drives in socially acceptable ways. (Even more oddly, Billy Crystal's horrific and mawkish Mr. Saturday Night attempted more overtly to be the Raging Bull of comedy, and the less said about that effort the better.)
It wasn't until the ride home from the movie that it occurred to me that the "funny" in the title Funny People could have two meanings; there's funny ha-ha, and funny-odd. Here, the people are intentionally, compellingly both. |
Witty, funny, and fun
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| Review Date: September 13, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Heather, |
One of Sandler's better films in recent years.
If you like Knocked Up, you will more than likely like this film. It has a lot of the same seriousness, minus all the pot jokes and references. Yes, there is a lot of complains about the same type jokes but I barely noticed them. It's about stand up comedy. All stand up comedians talk about the same thing so anyone who said their are too many certain jokes has never seen a stand up comedian before. That said this movie is cute, witty, smart, and funny. I cried, I laughed, and loved every second of Funny People. |
Funny People Review
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| Review Date: January 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Craig Whittle, Phoenix, AZ |
FUNNY PEOPLE
STARRING: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow, Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman, Jonah Hill, Aubrey Plaza, RZA, Torsten Voges and Aziz Ansari
WRITTEN BY: Judd Apatow
DIRECTED BY: Judd Apatow
Rated: R
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Release Date: 31 July 2009
I wasn't very enthusiastic when I saw the trailer for Funny People; writer and director Judd Apatow's third film. I loved Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin is easily in my top five favorite comedies of all time. Also, I'm huge fans of Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, so naturally this caught me by surprise.
Whoever put together the trailer desperately tried to make it look like as much of a comedy as Apatow's first two films. I wasn't too excited to see the film because I didn't think it looked very funny. It's no wonder the comedic elements seemed scarce - it's more of a drama.
One reason I am such a huge fan of Apatow's work, is that his films feel less like movies and more like real life. Nearly every single element of them could actually happen. This all stems from his passion for writing of his own personal experiences. Furthermore, all of his films are consistently relatable to one's own life in one way or another.
In addition to his great writing, Apatow is a master at pulling real heartfelt feelings out of his entire cast and displaying them on film. Even when the characters are being funny or crude and vulgar, you can't help but believe this is exactly how they would act if the character were a real person.
The movie shows us the dark side of a famous comedian and the rough underbelly of the world of stand-up. It also addresses how fame and fortune won't "keep you warm at night." It's called Funny People and it's about comedians, yes; but I also sense a double meaning in the title as it goes to great lengths to expose how ridiculous people are in general.
The story is centered on Adam Sandler's character, George Simmons. George is a huge comedic icon who has made several successful films with other well known celebrities. He lives in a huge mansion in L.A. and has more money than he knows what to do with. Sounds like he has the perfect life, right? Wrong.
George finds out within the first five minutes of the film, that he has an illness and doesn't have very long to live. If that's not bad enough, we soon learn he virtually has no-one close to share this information with; no family, no friends, no-one.
This is one of Sandler's best performances. There is a scene in about the middle of the film where he breaks down, loses his temper and makes a comment about how he pays for all of these things and none of them work; a play on words about his fame and success and how lonely it is. You really buy that he's a sad man who's made a lot of mistakes and owns them.
We are constantly reminded of George's massive fame by all of the movie paraphernalia in the background, and his uncomfortable run-ins with fans. The film is also deliciously scattered with moments of real footage of Sandler's younger years in comedy and we get a few samples of his lyrical talent through humorous songs as well. George constantly makes jokes about how famous he is and how it's his job to entertain the world. However, it is evident that he is not happy with this.
Upon hearing the unfortunate news, George decides to get back into stand-up. At a small comedy club, he meets Ira Wright, played magnificently by Seth Rogen.
It's not very often that you see a comedian try to be less funny and that's Rogen's task here. He plays a young comedian who thinks he is funnier than he really is and Rogen nails it. He's normally the obnoxious and arrogant stoner who never really grew up and he plays that beautifully too; but here he is a sensitive guy with insecurities and a bitter awkwardness.
George sees a bit of himself in Ira and hires him to write jokes for him. Ira's two roommates are funnier and more successful than him, so he jumps at this opportunity. His roommates are played by Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman.
It's easy to tell that Apatow specifically writes parts for the actors he has in mind and it makes you appreciate the character that much more. The scenes with Ira and his roommates are classic and realistic of how young bachelors can be towards each other.
Ira has been looking to further his life and is more than happy to spend less time at home with these two. Soon he and George hit it off and George hires him to be his personal assistant to do all sorts of things in addition to writing. Ira is the only person George can seem to communicate with and soon he lets him in on his secret.
At well over two hours, you get a lot more out of a Judd Apatow movie, than you do most comedies. There is plenty of time to get to know all of the characters; especially in the director's cut, available on video. In addition to this, there are several different subplots happening simultaneously.
We learn that George did at one time have a love in his life, but she is "the one that got away." Leslie Mann plays George's ex-girlfriend Laura and he finds a way to get back in touch with her after several years. She is now unhappily married to another man who fathered their two kids.
Mann and Sandler have great chemistry together, which is understandable as they have known each other for years and worked together in Big Daddy. Their characters hated each other in that film but here they share truly deep feelings that go way-back, and remind us of choices we made in our own pasts.
Ira becomes George's wingman as he goes to visit Laura in hopes of winning her back.
If you didn't know, Leslie Mann is the wife and mother of Judd Apatow's two kids, who play her kids in this film and in Knocked Up as well. Talent clearly runs through the Apatow family. I wouldn't be surprised if both of their daughters grow up to be stunning actresses just like their mother.
Again, because of the real-life chemistry that all of these people have together, it only makes the scenes that much more genuine and enjoyable to watch. I'm sure Seth Rogen has gotten to know the Apatow family over the span of his career as well and Sandler and Apatow have been friends since before either of them became famous. There are some really nice moments in this section of the film and as if things weren't going well enough, they only get more interesting when the husband unexpectedly shows up.
Eric Bana delivers one of the best comedic performances I have seen this year as Laura's obnoxious Australian husband, Clarke. You like him but you hate him at the same time. I learned that Bana is a big fan of comedy and did a lot of it in Australia and he has been waiting for the right opportunity to do more. What greater comeback could he have than an Apatow film?
Eventually Clarke catches on that George is after his wife and the two get into a hilarious fist fight in the front yard. Sandler delivers one of the film's funniest lines in reference to him not being qualified to fight back because he's a comedian.
It's so enjoyable to watch these movies. You laugh until you are blue in the face and you really care about the characters by the end of the film because you are so invested in them.
Apatow is an amazing filmmaker. He perfectly maps out each character and every single scene is filled with wit and humor.
Whether the movie is about losing your virginity (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) or having a child with the woman you love (Knocked Up) or trying to accept the fact that you let the love of your life slip through your fingers and you may die alone (Funny People); if it's an Apatow film, you know you will laugh and go on an emotional journey with the characters because we can all relate to them as people. Funny, isn't it?
Review by: Craig Whittle
oldmanwhittle9@yahoo.com |
Funny People Funny Movie
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| Review Date: February 1, 2010 |
| Reviewer: A. Nunez, |
| Very funny movie Sandler and Rogen have a hilarious chemistry throughout the movie which makes for some very memorable comedy. |
Warning: Not for Neanderthals
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| Review Date: November 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. Rosenberg, Portland, Oregon |
Aww, poor fans of The Waterboy and Little Nicky don't think Adam Sandler's new movie is funny. Wah.
This movie is not only one of the most hilarious I've seen in recent years but one of the most moving.
I love Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore too, but this is not like those movies. This movie mocks those movies. This is a meaningful work of art, not a passing fancy. These are well-drawn and well-acted characters -- Sandler's best performance ever, as it is for Seth Rogen and certainly Lisa Mann. I love Apatow's sillier comedies too (although most of his films do work on an emotional level), but this is a nuanced and beautiful masterwork. Like a song by Loudon Wainwright (whom Apatow cites as a major influence in the liner notes to the Knocked Up soundtrack), it makes you laugh, cry, and back again until your heart and stomach muscles are exhausted. It is also the most realistic depiction of the world of stand-up comics you are likely to see, and very revealing for that.
If you have a functioning heart and brain you will love this film, and perhaps pity those who do not. |
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