Funny People
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Synopsis
George is a very successful stand up comedian who learns that he has an untreatable blood disorder and is given less than a year to live. Ira is a struggling up-and-coming stand up comedian who works at a deli and has yet to figure out his onstage persona. One night, these two perform at the same club and George takes notice of Ira. George hires Ira to be his semi-personal assistant as well as his friend.
Review
Adam Sandler has only won me over in two films to date. Puch Drunk Love showed a strong actor hiding inside the body of the egotistical alleged funnyman. Reign Over Me saw a subdued performance from that self same actor. The rest of his films - even Wedding Singer which so many people love to point out to me as a 'Great Sandler film' - are dreadful! His own sense of self-importance and ego shine through in each and every one of the so-called comedies, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. So, with my 2 year rule for Sandler (I must watch a new release every 2 years to justify my hatred of him), this year came around far too quickly. Last time around (2007) I was lucky to land Reign Over Me.
This year, I was lucky to land Funny People!
Scripted and directed by Judd Apatow, the man behind the studio that spawned the recent surge of modern-comedy, from Anchorman and 40 Year Old Virgin to Pineapple Express and, erm, Year One (okay, let's ignore that last one), the film focuses on two ends of the comedy spectrum. One the one hand we have George Simmons (Sandler), a successful comic who began in stand-up and is now a huge name in simple comic films such as Merman (half man half fish) or Re Do (man given second chance at being a baby). His ego and self importance mean that he doesn't really have much in the way of social skills or friends. When he is diagnosed with a fatal illness, he is put on experimental treatment. The impact of the news makes him reconsider his life, and he tries to return to the stand-up circuit that he began in. There he encounters the young up-and-comers such as Ira Wright (Seth Rogan) and Leo Koenig (Jonah Hill), both trying to make their way in the world of comedy. George hires Ira to write material for him (despite Ira being a bit weak at his own works), and the two strike up a rapport which develops both Ira's skills at comedy, and George's social skills. Throw in an old lost-love (Leslie Mann), the cheating husband (Eric Bana), and some able support in the guise of young and successful Mark (Jason Schwartzman), and the scenes are set for a detailed study into the minds of comics young and old.
This is, perhaps, Apatow's most mature film to date, and can be seen perhaps as a study of where he actually fits into the world now with his A-lister status. The unscripted nature of the stand-up segments (the cast were encouraged to write their own routines and play them out for real) make for mixed responses, but certainly showcase the love Apatow has for stand-up, a forlorn longing for a return to the earlier, more carefree comedy of his youth. As a character study it is interesting to consider Rogan and Sandler as two aspects of the same person, only separated by experience and wealth.
Most daring is the casting of Sandler in a role which basically strips away all the layers of his own real life. The fake films Simmon's has been cast in over the years are exactly the kind of films you could see Sandler performing in. It is as though Sandler himself is trying to work through issues via this film, just as Apatow seems to be. It is very courageous, and commendable, of Sandler to play a role that could be seen by his detractors to be a pure representation of himself - someone who surrounds himself with sycophants who tell him how wonderful he is, and never liking to be told what to do. It has certainly earned the comic actor a lot more respect from me.
The start of the film is a bit uneven, but after 20 minutes I became engrossed in the lives of the characters on screen. When it was funny it was deliciously funny, but when it wasn't it was emotional and driven. The newly slimmed down Rogan is as simply crafted as usual, and some cameos from real comics or celebs never feels forced, and often lends well to the moments.
The reasonably long running time for a 'comedy' never feels such, and the fact it is more a comic drama than a straight comedy makes it all the better.
The film will certainly not be to everyone's taste. Adam Sandler fans will hate it, and those expecting Anchorman style japery will be sorely disappointed. However, go in anticipating a film which is not starring 'funny people' but is a drama about 'funny people' and there will be plenty to love.
Trivia
- The characters of George and Ira were written specifically for Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen.
- The plot of the film and its characters are loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby.
- All featured footage of a younger George Simmons is real footage of a younger Adam Sandler, although all of the movies of George Simmons are fake.
- The opening video with the prank calls is a real video shot by Judd Apatow when he and Adam Sandler were younger. The two other people appearing in this video are Janeane Garofalo and Ben Stiller.
- The scene in which Ira (Seth Rogen) is waiting for George to pick him up for the MySpace gig, he is talking to Leo and Mark on the balcony. During the shot of Ira speaking you can see a Green Hornet poster on the dresser in the back. Seth Rogen is set to star in the movie adaptation of the Green Hornet in 2010.
- The reoccurring mention of Ira Wright's weight loss is a reference to Seth Rogen's own weight loss for the film, The Green Hornet (2010).
- Despite Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill being close friends for years, this is their first project together.
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