Funny People
by Juan Barquin · December 19, 2012
Director: Judd Apatow
Screenplay by: Judd Apatow
Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Bana, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow, Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman, RZA
From the very start, Funny People hits hard by diving into far darker depths than anything Judd Apatow's written before, leading into a mature movie that won't be for those expecting just another dumb comedy.
When famous comic George (Sandler) discovers he has a rare blood disorder with no clear treatment, he finds himself confronted with his mortality and begins to examine and regret many aspects his life. He finds comfort in taking Ira (Rogen), a struggling stand-up comedian, under his wing and forming a real relationship during his long journey through recovery.
Far from Apatow's fun traditional comedies Knocked Up and The Forty Year Old Virgin, Funny People works as both an insightful drama and a comedy. It's ambitious to take on a comedy in this manner, and that concept is sure to turn plenty of audiences off, but those who come in with an open mind will find themselves watching quite a movie. There's a lot of focus on the characters here, none more than George, who spends most of the film reflecting on his life and wishing he'd made other decisions. Apatow breaks down this character and proceeds to build him right back from the ground up without simply delivering jokes one after another, but that doesn't mean it's without humor.
The crude humor is kept in balance by a lot of dark writing and plenty of emotional conversations which are atypical for a comedy. There's no real structure in this lengthy piece, and it's as aimless as life itself seems sometimes, but there's something here that you can't get in most comedies nowadays. The original premise may get a little lost in the last act as the film sticks to exploring George's relationship with his lost love Laura (Mann), but it never completely loses its touch with the harsh reality it's trying to look into.
Adam Sandler is on the same level here as he was back in Punch-Drunk Love, and it's a shame we don't see this side of him more often. He does an amazing job with George at his lowest points and is just as wonderful with the lighter bits of the role. Seth Rogen gives a mature and tender performance while Leslie Mann brings a lot of vulnerability to her character, and both of them work wonderfully alongside Sandler.
At the end of the day, Funny People is the kind of movie that stands out in the tired comedies that come out each year. Sometimes depressing and often humorous, Judd Apatow shows that he has a lot to say with this one, and we can only hope to see more from him like this.
Tags: adam sandleraubrey plazaaziz ansaricountry: usaeminemeric banagenre: comedygenre: dramajason schwartzmanjonah hilljuan recommendsjudd apatowjustin longleslie mannRZAsarah silvermanseth rogenyam recommendsyear: 2009
Juan Barquin
Just yer average twenty-something college student with no time on his hands who ends up watching (and writing) too many movies and shows for his own good.
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Giacomo says:
I keep forgetting to check this film out. Definitely one of those releases that time forgot
Juan Barquin says:
@Giacomo, It really is and the big issue with it was that a lot of people had very mixed feelings on it because it's a two and a half hour dark-ish comedy which was totally out of left field so people just sort of dropped it and walked away from it.
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