Funny People Review

Funny People – 146 minutes, directed by Judd Apatow and starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann and Eric Bana

The third directorial feature from comedy lynchpin Judd Apatow, Funny People is a comedy-drama concerning Adam Sandler’s George Simmons, a jaded millionaire comedian who learns he has leukaemia. He meets Ira Wright (Seth Rogen), a wannabe stand up, whom he employs to be his assistant, write jokes for him and talk him to sleep at nights. The film follows the varying successes of the comedians’ careers in the business. Ira’s roommate Mark (an excellent Jason Schwartzman), for example, has hit pay dirt in crap sitcom ‘Yo, Teach’, much to the derision/jealously of his friends. With comedians as central characters, there are predictably many funny exchanges and situations that arise in the film and most people should find several laugh out loud moments in the film.

Funny People is not without its flaws however. A comedian with a terminal disease makes for some erratic shifts in tone, veering from low-brow humour to near the knuckle tragedy, often within seconds or even simultaneously, which is not something Apatow always carries gracefully. The film is also indulgently long and could easily have lost a good forty five minutes without losing any plot or character development. The sexual politics are also pretty questionable at times as Apatow seems reluctant to truly commend or condemn any of his character’s actions.

However, despite its problematic faults, Funny People is still a compelling drama and very well acted by a faultless cast (Eric Bana is especially good). The overtly autobiographical elements (Leslie Mann is Apatow’s real life wife; his two young daughters have significant roles; footage of Apatow and Sandler’s college pranks are implemented) are a bold inclusion, that despite not always making for comfortable viewing, are one of the film’s more commendable features. Solid and very watchable.