Funny People: Review By Dodd

Judd Apatow has become somewhat of an auteur within the comedy circle. It seems as though comedy was once solely reliant upon actors. People expected wackiness from Adam Sandler if he starred in Happy Gilmore or Punch Drunk Love (hence, why a lot of sophomoric humor fans did not like Punch Drunk Love). It seems as though Apatow has brought back a sense of authorship that hasn't been this prominent since the popularity of Mel Brooks or Woody Allen. The film Funny People stars the aforementioned Adam Sandler, but it has been heavily marketed as the third outing from director/writer Apatow. With a blend of crude humor and serious heart, the man has created a style of comedy that makes us laugh while actually caring about the characters and the storyline, which is not a string of hit or miss sketches. With his newest picture Funny People, he once again does not disappoint.

Adam Sandler stars as comedian George Simmons. It seems as though the role was written just for Sandler. Simmons is a man who has gotten very rich after cashing in on high-concept comedies. Take for example Merman in which a half-man, half-fish moves to the city and causes wacky high jinks to ensue. Despite money buying a mansion on the beach and sex with any girl he wants, it has not bought him happiness as he sits in his home night-after-night in isolation. To make matters worse, he is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and does not have a single shoulder to cry on. Enter Ira (Seth Rogen), a teddy bearish LA resident who dreams of being a stand-up comic. He crashes on the sofa in an apartment he shares with his roommates (Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman), who have have much better luck with their comedy careers. Schwartzman's Mark has particularly hit the jackpot in a new teacher sitcom titled Yo Teach (some may recall this from its faux advertisements on NBC). When George does a random night of comedy at the same club where Ira tries out his new material, the two of them strike up a friendship after George makes an offer to pay Ira as a personal joke writer.

What follows is what is expected from Judd Apatow and does not require much of a detailed explanation. After all, one does not want to spoil the material. As usual, Apatow's film runs over two hours and delivers plenty of laughs and plenty of poignant moments. George and Ira become better friends, and George learns life lessons. He even begins to re-ignite interest in the woman he once loved (Leslie Mann) despite the fact that she is married to and has a family with an intense business man from Australia (Eric Bana). Yes, the film even makes room for some romantic comedy.

As of now, Funny People has received tepid reviews. Personally, I took in every second of this hard hitting film, and even think it is a cut above Apatow's previous comedy, Knocked Up. Funny People is a lot like two films in one. The first half focuses on the friendship between Ira and George and centers its focus on the stand-up comedy scene. The jokes are completely hit-and-miss, and I believe this to be intentional. Rather than pretending that the stand-up circuit is a nicely edited barrel of laughs aired on Comedy Central, there are many times that we must suffer through Ira and other comedians telling flat jokes about penises and masturbation. Sometimes these scenes are completely cringe-worthy when the movie audience expects laughter, but instead finds befuddlement and confusion. Apatow has done a wonderful job of capturing this scene so accurately. Today's top comics will probably stress how hard comedy really is, and Funny People does not hold back on this truth.

The second half of the film shifts away from the stand-up setting and focuses more on George's fixation on Leslie Mann's Laura. It is when the film goes from being completely male-dominated to introducing Mann's strong female presence into the mix. To me this is the better part of the film that relies more on people having normal conversations and spouting off humor naturally as opposed to the first half that relies more on a joke-to-joke tactic. It especially gives Eric Bana the opportunity to shine as the Aussie actor gets in touch his rugged and rambunctious side.

It seems as though all of the actors are really within their element. I do not think Sandler will ever win an Oscar for breaking boundaries and being versatile. However, he is damned good at playing his soft-spoken self, and he is especially admirable for reflexively poking fun at his public persona. This is probably the best role that Seth Rogen has tackled in his rise to popularity. Ira is relatable because he is an average Joe. Rogen may not have to try hard to play a regular guy, but he certainly goes above and beyond to be a real character and not just a token male buffoon.

Clocking in at 146 minutes, Funny People has a lot to offer. Apatow is notoriously slammed for his long comedies, but it certainly beats the hell out of 80-minute, high-concept comedies that make us lose our appetites. Funny People is a comedy that wants to be precise and wants to get everything right. Sometimes it is funny, and sometimes it is not funny, but I feel that every second of this movie has a purpose and successfully achieves those purposes. If you want Sandler to play a moron and speak gibberish, turn away. If you like your humor quick and gross, then this is not your cup of tea. However, if you want a complex film that makes its audience laugh because they are supposed to truly understand the characters and their situations, then this is a comedy worth your time.