Funny People (2009)

Directed by Judd Apatow

(3 out of 4)

 

Review by Luke Gorham: As the newly-crowned king of adult comedies (not necessarily the raunchy, R-rated kind, although that also applies), Judd Apatow has forged a career by making films that revolve around a character with slightly more heart and brains than your typical comedic lead and with some amount of untapped potential. For “Funny People,” Apatow sticks to the formula that worked in “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” but from a slightly different angle. If 'Virgin' was about a guy who had his shit together but needed to get laid, and “Knocked Up” was about a guy who got laid and then had to get his shit together, “Funny People” is about a guy who has shit and always gets laid, but needs to figure out what really matters.

The film stars Adam Sandler as George Simmons, a successful comedian and sell-out actor (self-deprecation, anyone?) who finds out he’s dying, seeks human connection in the form of up-and-coming comedian Ira (Seth Rogen), finds out he’s not dying anymore, looks to rekindle love with an old flame (Leslie Mann) under the guise of a fresh start, and manages to piss off everyone who cares for him in the process. If the path Simmons takes seems contrived, it is. And yet, this is only because Simmons, more than previous Apatow leading men, is the prototype of infantilized manhood; he's misanthropic and self-centered, disillusioned and spoiled. Simmons' pampered lifestyle has caused him to forget what it's like to live a 'normal' life, and throughout the film he refuses to take any steps toward maturity.

Sandler is fantastic here, playing Simmons as both an appealing, quick-witted wiseass and as a frustratingly puerile jerk. There's sure to be praise deeming this Sandler’s return to “real” acting, and I whole-heartedly agree: this is certainly his best performance since “Punch-Drunk Love” and, if you’re asking me, his best performance to date. He rids himself almost entirely of his typical Sandler-isms, delivering a performance that's deeply personal, but also acutely observed and removed of too much familiarity.

The most refreshing thing about “Funny People” is that the film is truly driven, as the title informs, by funny people. Differing from his previous directorial efforts as well as those he's produced (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Superbad”), Apatow's latest is not a joke-centric movie, and even though the characters here are mostly comedians, the big gags and extended comedic motifs that typically characterize Apatow's films are absent. Admittedly, this results in a film that may disappoint those seeking it out for hilarity alone, as the laughs are not as frequent or forceful as in this director's other works. But for those fans of the then-surprising drama in, say, “Knocked Up,” “Funny People” offers more of the same. Admittedly, the cancer angle is a bit underdeveloped and can be melodramatic, but the film is ultimately about growth. And, with this in mind, each actor is given greater attention and their roles imbued with more complexity, than in previous Apatow films, wherein characters often existed solely to sling jokes and setup gags. Rogen and Mann, in particular, both hit the right notes in their more dramatic, less showy roles.

Of course, Apatow critics will still find the opportunity to complain about runtime (here, nearly two and a half hours), misappropriated dramatic themes and an unsavory mixture of crudeness and sensitivity. As with all of his films, Apatow could have shaved a few minutes off here and there, and Simmons’ disease is indeed handled a bit listlessly. But, with “Funny People,” Apatow is demonstrating growth and maturity as a filmmaker, creating more realistic and complex characters who aren’t nearly as stereotypical, lovable or forgivable as those in his previous films, and delivering a work that features the best combination of real drama and relaxed comedy that we've seen from the filmmaker thus far.

Last Word:

Featuring Adam Sandler’s best performance and a more mature and even-handed story from the usually broad Apatow, “Funny People” delivers equally affecting drama and comedy.

Review By:
Luke Gorham, Film Editor

IN REVIEW ONLINE