Movies about Comedians usually bring mixed results. The King of Comedy, with Robert DeNiro and Jerry Lewis, is a great example of a movie about comedians done right. Punchline, with Tom Hanks and Sally Field, is not. By finding the right tone to tell a truthful and honest tale of a comedians life, you have to be willing to embrace the drama along with the funny. To have it feel real and not just a story about people who are rich and famous. Who just get to do pretty much anything they want because they're rich and famous and never have any real consequences (I'm looking at you Entourage). Funny People attempts this bold task of showing you rich people with problems and makes it work, makes it "real."
Adam Sandler stars as George Simmons, an actor who sold out by making really terrible Waynes-Brothers esque movies. But the gamble paid off, because he's one of the biggest comic stars in the world. Unfortunately, his life is about to take quite a turn, as he's given news of a rare disease that may kill him. Seth Rogen plays Ira Wright, a young man wanting to be a comedian but has to work all day at a grocery store deli while his two best friends (Jonah Hill & Jason Schwartzman in two very funny smaller roles) have much more success than he does, in varying degrees. One night Simmons sees Ira perform and decides to hire him to write jokes and be his personal assistant.
And so the moves moves forward, not in a montage like rush, but with precision and grace, showing us absolutely everything that is going on with their newly found relationship/sudo friendship. Sandler is great here, just as good as he was in Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love & James L. Brooks' underrated Spanglish. He shows a very tender side, alongside a very abrasive one as well and makes you believe that this man is struggling inside and out (even with his fortunes) and that this disease may be finally opening up his eyes. Rogen also turns in a sharp performance here and you don't question once why he would stay around with this guy, because you would too. Leslie Mann turns the "last act" role of the girl who got away into someone very relatable and, dare I say it again, real. Also, watch out for Aubrey Plaza as the girl of Rogen's dreams, or at least, the girl of his desires, and Eric Bana proves that he can indeed do comedy, and he does it well. There's more, much more (I mean, it's 150 minutes long) to the story, but won't tell you much more in fear of giving away too much of the plot (and I advise you not to watch the original trailer either if you don't want much of the story told to you). Yes, it's a tad long. But it works. Judd Apatow's sweet, personal film is a wonderful meditation on life, death, love, the one who got away, and everyday success and dreams. Again, Apatow shows that he's a master of telling a grown up story with heart and ranchy language. Which is what most of our lives is: a few swear words here, a little heart there, a few more swear words...a few more...a few....). Let Sandler and company entertain you here, make you laugh, make you think, and, thank God, make you feel. - B+
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