‘Funny People’ is the Year’s First Great Drama
-----‘Funny People’ looked funny. Sold as a somewhat light comedy that wasn’t afraid to tackle serious issues, not many expected a heavy film from Director Judd Apatow. To my pleasant surprise, Apatow has shown that he can do drama with the best of them, in this character study that just happens to be about funny people.
-----When famous comedian George Simmons is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, he is forced to finally take things seriously. Put on experimental drugs, Simmons reaches out to struggling comedian Ira Wright, making him his personal assistant. It is only when faced with his own impending death that Simmons realizes how alone he really is, and that is only the beginning of his problems.
-----Adam Sandler gives his best dramatic performance to date, playing an odd and almost eerie hybrid of the real life Adam Sandler and the much darker George Simmons. Apatow brilliantly makes use of clips from Sandler’s early comedic days, leading the way as Sandler paints the portrait of a man who has everything and nothing. Sandler’s performance is at times so intense you’ll find yourself struggling to empathize with him and even occasionally alienated by him, yet at other times he reels you in as the charismatic lighthearted celebrity that the public knows. If the Oscars were held tomorrow he’d be nominated for Best Actor, and regardless he has a definite shot at winning the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. As much as he carries the film with his riveting performance however, Seth Rogen does just about as much as a young comedian struggling to do the right thing throughout various moral dilemmas. Rogen has lost plenty of weight, and looks the best he ever has on screen. It’s actually amazing that he now looks much younger than he did in any of his other films. He too shows how great an actor he can be, as he plays a character far nobler and certainly much more innocent than those in his past roles. His sense of humor is still similar, because that’s what audiences pay to see, but it’s his chemistry and dramatic moments with Sandler that make this a character study for the ages. As I mentioned before, one should not mistake this as a comedy. It is a drama first, one that just happens to be about comedians. The humor comes from the fact that the subjects happen to be people who laugh their problems away, rather than being a conventional comedy. After all, they are stand up comedians; if they’re not funny then the movie loses all credibility.
-----Supporting the excellent dynamic duo of Sandler and Rogen are a slew of fine, often funny performances. Leslie Mann plays Sandler’s old flame, in a role that provides some of the films’ superior tense scenes. She capably shows a spectrum of emotions, and convincingly walks the film through its emotionally potent third act. Playing her husband is Eric Bana, in a role few have seen him in before. Playing one of the films more outrageous characters, Bana still manages to avoid being a silly caricature, and is quick to flex his acting muscles in some classic moment-of-truth scenarios. On the lighter side of things are Rogen’s roommates in the film, played by Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman. A conventional comedy would have played out solely within their world, as they provide many of the film’s lighter moments. Jonah Hill is downright hilarious in this supporting role, as was the case with ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall.’ I personally, actually prefer him as a sidekick character, having been one of the few people on Earth not in love with 2007’s ‘Superbad.’ And unlike his costar in ‘Superbad,’ Michael Cera, Hill has shown that he can play a few different characters, even if they are all similar in heart. Playing the semi-successful-sitcom-star roommate of Hill and Rogen is Jason Schwartzman. He comes of as cocky, but like all of the film’s characters, avoids being a one note archetype. He too has a chance to show his diverse emotions, and you end up liking him just the same, despite his flaws. Schwartzman and Hill provide some much needed light moments in this film steeped in dark drama, and their presence lends a perfect balance to the whole movie experience.
-----‘Funny People’ is not for the faint of heart. Dark, raunchy, and conflicting, it is a film that will challenge its viewers. Those expecting a light comedic outing may even be disgruntled with what is a human interest tale, rather than a movie made solely for getting laughs. At a surprising two and a half hour runtime, many may also find flaw in the length, but I personally ate it up. In fact, it’s come to my attention that every movie to receive the celebrated Five Star rating from me this year has been over two hours in length. ‘Funny People’ comes off as an old school tale of morality and the grey areas of life, as we see a thorough and complete study of the film’s characters, throughout many various circumstances. Seeing them at their best and at their worst, the film really comes full circle by taking its time and avoiding the pressure from modern audiences to wrap everything up quick and tidy, getting people on their way. I’m reminded of the classic, ‘You Can’t Take it With You,’ an agreeably lengthy film about the divide between social classes of society, and the different sides of stereotyped individuals. ‘Funny People’ is very similar in its exploration of the filthy rich, the moderately famous, and the humble middle class. ‘You Can’t Take it With You’ won the Oscar for Best Picture back in 1938, and while ‘Funny People’ certainly won’t take home the award, it may have a shot at a nomination with this year’s extended ten Nomination limit. Indeed, as I was watching the movie, I felt it had the feel of a picture worthy of the prestigious Nomination, and upon a second viewing I enjoyed the film even more so. And I urge viewers to give this film a second viewing, for the ending may leave some distraught about one of the film’s protagonists, and a second viewing really brings it all home and puts it in perspective for the unsure viewer. It is the heart of the film that makes it a classic, and one should avoid being so unlucky as to miss it behind the coarse front it hides under.
-----Technically, the film is steady in pacing, though agreeably long. While this is a trait I appreciate, viewers should be prepared for a lengthy story about life. The cinematography is steady, never attempting to take over the film, and only becoming noticeable upon its classic and memorable final shot. Clips from past Sandler standup routines give the film a feel of nostalgia, authenticity, and reality. The music is also much more nostalgic and grown up than some would expect from a comedy, but it does its job admirably. The laughs are steady, even for those who don’t usually take to standup routines (including myself), and the timing on the other bits of humor scattered throughout the film is impeccable.
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-----Many of the greatest and most memorable films are those that challenge their viewers. “I think I did the right thing,” voices Seth Rogen’s character upon the film’s conclusion. And as we follow his character, the mostly innocent, usually well meaning onlooker of events in Sandler’s confrontation with death, we begin to find pieces of ourselves in the film. Whether it’s a character flaw here, or a moral dilemma there, the messages are as real as the actors portraying them. Providing what are deep and insightful lessons on life, ‘Funny People’ becomes much more than a raunchy comedy, with much of the crudity stemming simply from the protagonists’ careers as standup comedians. ‘Funny People’ is instead one of the best character studies I’ve ever seen, and the year’s best drama to date. Knowing that, I urge any bold moviegoer not afraid to observe flawed and very real characters dealing with the complexities of life to see this extraordinary film; because after all, you can always just laugh it off, right?
-----Oscar Watch: Adam Sandler may get a Best Actor Nomination pending the performances in the next five months. On top of that, he’s currently the frontrunner to win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, seeing as the film had the convenient mix of comedy and drama. The movie itself is also the current frontrunner for the Musical or Comedy Golden Globe Award. I’d also like to see a Best Picture Nomination, and it has a shot with the change to ten annual Nominations.
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