Review of Funny People (2009) by Grant B — 25 Oct 2012

Judd Apatow's 3rd movie as director and writer is a change up from what he would be expected to do, which is extreme raunchiness but meanwhile has a heart. Going into this I was expecting something different, but this just kind of took me by surprise.

Note it still has quite a bit of raunch but his most tame movie to date. The heart on the other hand is what makes this movie, this movie is the heart. Starting out it is pretty slow, slowly working its way into what resembles a comedy movie.

Now people expecting a raunchy sex comedy should not see this cause this is pretty much everything but. It starts with George Simmons played by Adam Sandler and this is his second best role ever, the first being Punch Drunk Love.

Adam Sandler is great really pulling you into the character of George, probably because this character is Adam Sandler, a rich comedian who does dorky movies and is an asshole to most people but at the same time he has this emptiness, he is alone, has no close friends and noone to talk to.

This all gets worse when he learns he has a certain type of lukemia. This causes him to rethink his life, after a burnout at a standup gig, Ira, played by Seth Rogen, also changing up his game no longer playing the funny fat guy (plays as one of the jokes in the film) is also a standup comedian just starting out but missing something taht keeps him from getting anywhere while he watches his roommates take the glory and actually getting gigs and making money.

George asks Ira to write jokes for him and be his assistant. Soon Ira starts to think that he is making friends with George when really George wants nothing of that refusing to help Ira and refusing to make any sort of connection to him.

Thats what I think will trip up a lot of people when they see this movie is that this whole movie is about their friendship and it really doesnt show that until the very last shot in the movie, which I have to say is as good as the last shot in the new Harry Potter movie if not better.

Leslie Mann (Apatow's wife) plays George's ex and does not make an appearance until Ira convinces George to tell people about his condition. But George being desprate takes advantage of his situation to try and get a fresh start with her threatening to break up her marriage with her husband of 12 years (hilariously played by Eric Bana).

Right around this point is when I started to have problems with this movie, it is where things start to become very scattershot but I now realize why that is. this movie breaks the foundations for the formula of every love story to date, saying its how things would probably go down in real life, people may not like this and will be disappointed about how things happen.

not saying there arent any funny scenes during this but it takes some adjusting. during all of this Ira is conflicted, watching all this happen but not able to comprehend what to do. I dont want to give much away but this is just kind of a movie where you have to go with the flow.

I really think this is a new type of movie, one where the foundations taht hollywood have been built on dont matter, Apatow decided to throw away formula and go where his experience and his heart took him.

It was a great movie but to be honest the first time seeing it, it wasnt really the movie for me, probably because the problems presented I cant really relate to, but this is one of those movies that after seeing many times will grow on me and I will enjoy it more and more.

There is some real magic going on here but maybe I am just to young and dont have enough experience to see what it is quite yet. I am a person who sees a movie for a first time and really expects something amazing, I dont see a movie, hate it then rant aobut it, I see a movie and try to find the good things with it.

This is probably the most mature movie out there and it just goes to show that even though stars and comedians may seem great and have a great life, but it is so competative and the problems are the same.

So I will suggest to everyone that has decided to actually read this whole review and take in my advice, if you do see it, dont blast it for being boring, or too scattershot, or not what you expected, because really I dont think anybody could've expected something like this.

Funny People, its the most suiting title for this movie, and when u see it, some of you may realize why, and some wont.