Review: Funny People (2009)

Being a product of the late-eighties, I grew up on Adam Sandler. He was my absolutely favorite actor as a kid. I think I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for him.

So I guess it was kind of fun to see a film where he plays a distorted version of himself, complete with archive footage of his younger years as a comedian. Instead of playing a man-child jackass, as he is prone to do, he's a fully grown asshole. Okay, backup. In the beginning George Simmons (Sandler) finds out he's dying. So, he decides to shake things up in his life and meets Ira (Seth Rogen), an aspiring stand-up comic, and hires him to be his assistant and help him write jokes.

People are calling this Judd Apatow's "serious movie." It's sort of true. It's got more serious issues, but it's still funny. ALTHOUGH. The humor seems more forced than usual. It's a movie... About stand-up comedians. I have to say most of the footage at comedy clubs is dull. I was... disappointed.

Seth Rogen is at his most endearing, though. Instead of playing a lovable slacker who's always screwing up, he's an earnest, sweet-minded guy who's trying to get himself out there, but finds himself frustrated constantly by his roommate (Jason Schwartzmann, in a role not far off from Max Fischer) who has a well-paying job on a pitiful network TV sitcom.

After about what feels like 2 hours of becoming closer with his friends and family (and beating cancer), George finally gets back in touch with his ex-girlfriend (Leslie Mann) who is now married (To Eric Bana) and has two kids (The Apatow children). Some shit goes down and it all gets rather uncomfortable to the point where I lean over to my sister and say: "I'm trying to imagine how this is going to end well..."

I'm not sure I like the serious side of Judd Apatow.

Okay, and one last thing. It's over 2 hours. No comedy should ever be longer than 2 hours, and Apatow has always had a problem with editing. It really feels like a lot of stuff packed in. Like they couldn't bear to cut some stuff because they liked it, but it really had no place in the film. Eh, what am I saying?

The movie is too long and not funny enough. There I said it.

Still, Apatow is Apatow and he's always present.

Recommended? May as well

Grade: B-
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