Review: Funny People

A Love Letter to Comedy

In less than four years, writer, director, producer, and former stand-up comedian Judd Apatow has become the most talked about name in comedy--directing two wildly successful films, The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up; producing several others, and introducing the world to a whole slew of new comedy superstars.  It would seem surprising then that the creator of so many funny movies, when interviewed about his latest film Funny People, would stress that it is not a comedy.  Indeed, it is a serious movie about funny people, and it hits pretty hard. 

None of this is to say that the film isn't humorous.  After all, when you cast Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, Jason Shwartzman, and stand-up comedian Aubrey Plaza, and include appearances by legendary comedians young and old, from Aziz Ansari to Budd Friedman, you're bound to get a few laughs.  But the power of Funny People isn't its jokes.  Rather it is (as corny as this sounds) its heart and the passion Apatow clearly felt while putting it on the screen that makes Funny People his best film to date.

Funny People centers around George Simmons (Sandler), a successful film funny man who learns that he has a rare form of leukemia.  He begins doing stand-up again after years of absence and meets young wannabe-comedian Ira Wright (Rogen), who he hires to be his assistant as he resigns himself to death.  But when it looks like the disease might be receding, George tries to reconnect with the human race, including Laura (Mann), the “love of his life” he cheated on years earlier.

Sandler brings a lot to the table, proving that he has more than a gallery of goofy characters up his acting sleeve.  It helps that George is practically Sandler's doppelganger, down to a fictional filmography that goes tit-for-tat with all the idiosyncrasies of Sandler's own.  George is the core of most of the film's drama, and Sandler shoulders this with aplomb, much as he did in 2007's criminally under-seen Reign Over Me.  And he is not alone in delivering an unexpectedly strong performance.  Seth Rogen, in particular, deserves mention.  His character of Ira is as much at the film's heart as George.  He begins a frustrated young comic; outshone by his friends, overlooked by everyone else, perennially the nice guy and getting nothing for it.  As he starts working with the dying superstar and getting closer to him, Ira must face how human his idol really is.  At times Rogen is a tad outmatched by his co-stars, who have more experience with dramatic acting, but he still delivers, despite his lack of experience, and his performance gives the film a very human center.

Another standout performance comes from Eric Bana, though for an entirely opposite reason.  Bana plays Clarke the husband of George's old flame and perhaps the film's funniest character.  From his slightly racist take on asian business to his avid love Australian “footie,” Bana steals every scene he's in, an impressive feat considering who he is playing against.  It's more than a little ironic that Apatow gave this role to one of the few non-comedians in the cast.  Still, it is great casting and Bana brings plenty of energy to the character, while managing to keep him grounded for the more serious scenes.

All of the performances benefit from Funny People's script, penned by Apatow, who worked heavily with his actors to help personalize each character's dialogue.  Apatow also collaborated with several other comedians, including Brian Posehn and Patton Oswalt, to create original stand-up material for the characters in the comedy show scenes.  This kind of depth and attention to detail is one of the films strongest attributes.  From excerpts of the fake sitcom “Yo Teach”, to the posters for one of George's old films featuring Owen Wilson and Elizabeth Banks , Apatow has created an entire world for his characters to populate.  There is a subtlety and polish to the film that you almost never see in a comedy these days.  To that end, Apatow hired famed cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan).  The result is one of the best shot comedies in ages, which is a refreshing change from the cheaper aesthetic that has dominated the genre for many years.  There still are some elements that seem unfinished.  The sound design is sparse, which is especially noticeable in the comedy show scenes and the scenes in the mall where Ira works.  This kind of thing doesn't kill the film, not by a long shot, but it still seems a shame that a film of this caliber would forget or ignore something so fundamental.

Apart from more technical details, if Funny People has a flaw, it is in its balance.  The film contains some of the biggest laughs of the year alongside many painfully real dramatic moments, but the transitions between comedy and drama are often abrupt.  Though this lends the film a sense of reality, it detracts from both moods.  For example, one scene has Clarke confronting George about sleeping with his wife.  As the fight winds down there is a potential laugh over inappropriate behavior in front of Clarke's kids, but most of the humor of the joke is overshadowed by the seriousness of the scene, and yet the presence of the joke also detracts from the lingering drama of the fight.  This is the film's greatest weakness, but by the end there were enough moments that worked, that those that didn't are easily forgiven.

Judd Apatow spent three years working on this film, and his commitment shines through at every possible occasion. This is his story; a love letter to the business he has always admired.  The film is built on his memories and his experiences.  As the movie opens, we are treated to some grainy video of a young Sandler performing prank phone calls.  These are Apatow's home videos, from when he roomed with Sandler in their early years.  Funny People represents a culmination of those moments; a mature look at the aspirations—some achieved, most never obtained—of a young comedian as he dreams of one day being as great as the funny people that inspired him.  Well Mr. Apatow, I think it is safe to say you are as great and, though I doubt you will ever again be able to make a film this personal, I am truly excited to see what you make us laugh with next.