Movie Review: “Funny People”

Seen on: July 31, 2009

The players: Director: Judd Apatow, Writer: Judd Apatow, Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman

Facts of interest: Apatow also directed "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."

The plot: A stand-up comedian has a near-death experience that will prompt him to change his life and look at things from a different perspective.

Our thoughts: I wouldn’t go as far and call Judd Apatow’s “Funny People” one of the year’s best, but as a dramatic comedy carefully examining the impact a near-death experience has on a desperate stand-up comedian, the film works marvelously. “People” may not be Apatow’s most entertaining project, but it sure is as sincere as his previous efforts.

In what I believe is his best performance yet, Adam Sandler stars as George Simmons, a successful comedian whose solitary life takes a major turn when he’s diagnosed with an untreatable illness. When the disease suddenly goes into remission, however, George finds the necessary courage to reevaluate his life and make up for lost time.

Despite being a tad too long (it nearly runs for 140 minutes), “Funny People” qualifies as an amusing big-screen experience that carries a lot of heart and soul. Apatow’s got an incredible ability to generate authentic characters and put them into intriguing situations, and the final result is a fascinating tale of friendship and personal redemption.

I could be writing a 2,000-word essay about “Funny People” because there’s just so much interesting stuff to discover in the film’s thematic and its wonderful characters, but because I don’t want to spoil it all, I’ll keep this short. What I will tell you though is that this movie is loaded with strong writing, simple but sparkling humor, and of course, a whole bunch of fantastic performances.

I cannot say it often enough, but Sandler is quite simply majestic as George Simmons. Sure, he’s had his share or disappointing roles, but his efforts in “People” are truly memorable. So is Seth Rogen’s role as Ira Wright, a struggling stand-up comedian who gets hired as George’s personal assistant.

George and Ira soon launch into a close friendship, and Rogen and Sandler quickly develop and successfully manage to maintain a strong, believable on-screen chemistry throughout the film. Also sharing a few strong moments are Sandler and Leslie Mann, whose charm and talent are quite noteworthy.

Apatow regular Jonah Hill also shows up in a supporting role as yet another eager comedian looking for success, and he’s joined by a remarkably hilarious Jason Schwartzman, whose character plays the lead in a horribly unfunny sitcom. Eric Bana rounds out the splendid cast.

I find it important to talk more about these performances because they are the real driving force behind the film’s success. Sandler, Rogen, Hill, Schwartzman, Mann and Bana bring Apatow’s unique characters to life, and watching them do their thing on the big screen is half the fun already.

Freaky quote: "Don't put me in this position where I have to fuck my way out of a corner!" – Jason Schwartzman

The final word: Loyal Apatow fans should have no trouble connecting with “Funny People,” even though the film takes a while to really get going. I can only say I had a great time watching these talented guys putting on a truly amusing, heartfelt show. This is one very funny film, and you shouldn’t miss it at any cost.

 Article by Franck Tabouring