Rambling, sloppy and self-indulgent, this third film written and directed by Judd Apatow raises the stakes on the super-producer’s fashionable brand of potty-mouthed boy’s club humor. Lumpy and misshapen as it may be, Funny People has a cutting edge of despair. Bitterly clear-eyed about the consequences of Apatowian perpetual adolescence, it’s a dark, unpleasant movie that feels like it comes from somewhere deeply personal.
Adam Sandler, generational poster boy for idiot man-children (and Apatow’s former roommate) stars as George Simmons, a hollowed-
out miserable movie star, famous for a string of crap flicks that look suspiciously similar to recent Sandler vehicles. After being diagnosed with a rare, potentially fatal blood disease, Simmons tries to put the pieces of his empty life back together, attempting fresh starts with both his first loves: standup comedy, and an ex-fiancee played by Leslie Mann.
George hires struggling up-and-comer Ira (Seth Rogen) to be his gag writer and lackey, alternating between being needy and abusive, knowing the star-struck kid won’t dare sass back. The bravery of the Sandler performance is extraordinary, as Simmons is a bullying, self-obsessed train wreck when the movie begins, and cancer only seems to make him worse.
With an overcrowded ensemble of Ira’s fellow comics (including Jason Schwartzman, Jonah Hill and the intriguingly deadpan Aubrey Plaza), Funny People has no romantic illusions about the comedy world. These are viciously competitive people and the showbiz scenes carry an edge of aggression that makes the laughs stick in your throat.
Too bad Apatow the director isn’t as courageous as Apatow the writer. Even with the help of Spielberg’s go-to cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, Funny People suffers from the flat staging of a TV sitcom. Apatow has a regrettable penchant for musical montage sequences, as if he’s trying to take the edge off of what he’s written to make things slightly more palatable.
Good thing Sandler is fearless. Pulling no punches, he shows us just enough of the lost, sad soul inside of Simmons that we can almost tolerate his breathtaking selfishness. Diverting its path into a confused romantic showdown in the third act, Funny People stumbles and sputters to a fascinating conclusion that makes perfect emotional sense.
Like The Sopranos’ Season Six, it’s the story of a man who survives a near-death experience and doesn’t learn a godamn thing. B
Article:
Invictus
Article:
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe
Article:
Serious Moonlight
Article:
The Princess and the Frog
Article:
Me and Orson Welles
Article:
Up in the Air
Article:
35 Shots of Rum
Article:
Dare
