Funny People

Funny People

Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Jason Schwartzman

Directed by: Judd Apatow

Reviewed by: Conor Flynn






Every comedian has their dark side. With Funny People, Adam Sandler demonstrates his. In many ways this film is his attempt at stepping away from the typical ‘Sandler’ vehicle. Almost every film Sandler made early in his career was formulaic, typically in which he played a temperamental man-child who overcame bullying antagonists in order to win a girl. Through-out this film, a running joke blurs the lines between fact and fiction, in which Sandler’s character amusingly ridicules his past acting work; a set of comedies which parallel the reality of Sandler’s early filmography. Essentially Funny People is closer in tone to dramatic fare such as ‘Punch Drunk Love,’ ‘Reign Over Me’ and ‘Spanglish,’ but is it also being self-indulgent?

George Simmons (Sandler) is a comedian who has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia. This throws him into a deep sense of self loathing which affects his career. After struggling to connect with his audience on the comedy circuit, George meets Ira Wright (Rogen), a gifted but insecure comedian with promising material. George asks Ira to work for him, but soon finds he’s confiding in Ira. This leads George to reassess his life and he soon re-establishes ties with Laura (Mann), “the one who got away”…

Without question the most interesting part to the film is Adam Sandler’s performance. Through the character of George Simmons, Sandler layers the role with nuances, both selfish and sensitive. George is free from the typical mawkish sentimentality Sandler usually exhibits in his characters. Granted, his performance is constantly under threat from the trappings of self-indulgence, but thankfully we are never cajoled into feeling pity for George, he simply learns to deal with his egocentric issues one step at a time. All in all, Sandler gives a terrific performance. But this isn’t a one man show. Sandler is ably assisted by a restrained Seth Logan and a highly amusing Jason Schwartzman. Also watch out for a witty cameo by both Eminem and Ray Romano. Not everybody, it seems, loves Raymond. Especially Eminem…

If there is any self-indulgence, it comes from director Judd Apatow’s sloppily editing. Towards the eighty minute mark, in which the initial story arc reaches its conclusion, the film should be tying up loose ends; but instead the film continues on for another hour. The third act meanders and feels wholly unfocused. A subplot involving Laura becomes the films central plot, but isn’t strong enough to maintain interest and feels very much inconsequential. When it isn’t being excessively long, the film is too short. Scenes with the characters doing their comedy on stage are given little room to breath and come off as unfunny.

Funny People is memorable simply for Adam Sandler’s excellent performance. Sadly the direction and editing let Sandler down.