MasterChugs Theater: ‘Funny People’

Comedy is always serious business, whether the joke is on the funnyman with the pie in the kisser or the woman trying, really trying, to fall for the schnook who didn’t use the condom. Funny People, the latest from Judd Apatow, the director of the hit comedies Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin and a prolific producer, is being pitched as a bid at gravity, earnestness, adulthood, whatever. It’s an angle that sounds as if it had been cooked up by a studio flack to explain how words like divorce and death got tangled in with all the penis (and thereabouts) jokes. But the only difference is that now, Judd Apatow also seems almost lethally serious about being Judd Apatow.

Which is kind of ironic, considering the Judd Apatow name has essentially become synonymous with a new style of comedy. While Apatow has only directed 3 films including Funny People, he has written and produced countless films such as Anchorman, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Pineapple Express-each movie carrying a distinct comedic style known as Apatow comedy. The stories all have similar themes, man children trying to grow up, hot chicks liking geeky guys, hard-core bromance; essentially coming of age stories for adults.

So the question is does Funny People live up to the Apatow legacy? Honestly, like this movie, the answer is a conundrum.

Seth Rogen stars as Ira, a young comedian who’s still all nerves and phony confidence. His life is a cruel blend of flopping at open mics while busting his butt at a crappy job and watching his friends succeed more quickly than he is. All that changes one night, though, when he is tapped to follow stand-up and movie titan George Simmons who’s popped into a comedy club for an impromptu set. George has recently learned that he is terminally ill and his act is accordingly morbid and unfunny. He bombs and Ira, smelling blood in the water as only comedians can, piles on him with insults. For maybe the first time in his life, Ira totally kills.

From there, a curious relationship begins. Staring death in the face, George decides he’s had enough of making crappy, albeit successful films and wants to return to his stand-up roots. He hires Ira as a writer with the veiled understanding that Ira will also be George’s valet. And away they go! George’s cynicism is ever so slightly scraped away by Ira’s wide-eyed enthusiasm, and for awhile they seemingly become friends (in fact, Ira may be George’s only friend). George also eventually feels compelled to repair the many failed relationships that dot the history of his life, especially the one he had with Laura, the girl who “got away” (because he cheated on her).

So far it sounds like a pretty common story: guy realizes he’s dying so he tries to fix his life and become a better man. Funny People could have followed that well-run route and been an easy-to-digest, mainstream comedy. However, Apatow goes for something more complex and, ultimately, more accurate and satisfying. True, George flirts with the notion of becoming a decent person, but that just isn’t who George really is. Try as he might to move past it, that selfish core of his always floats back to the surface and poisons those around him. It’s how George deals with that, and not his impending death, that is the true point of the film.

Adam Sandler is quite simply majestic as George Simmons. Sure, he’s had his share or disappointing roles, but his efforts in Funny People are truly memorable. This is quite possibly the best role he’s ever played. He’s not afraid to be completely un-funny and possibly make a complete fool of himself. Much like his character in the film, he’s force fed us mindless comedies for a big paychecks. Instead of relying on his ability to talk in funny voices and make stupid faces, he reverts back to the side of him that we saw in Punch-Drunk Love, a deeper more tormented side, only this time with the help of Judd Apatow, his depression comes off comedic. In fact, both Sandler and Rogen have the sort of camera-friendly charm that pulls you along without letting things get too bogged down.

The main problem of the movie, and key insight into its lack of self-reflection, is its ludicrously indulgent length.  It is long because it heard that more serious films are long, and like the too-rich comedian shopping for a mansion, it figures, “why would you not get more rooms?”  But, the problem is not merely a length problem, it is the way in which it is mind-numbingly long combined with the fact that it so glaringly could be trimmed into a 110-minute treasure.

Another problem with the movie is that there’s something irritatingly self-satisfied about Funny People, which explains why, though it glances on the perils of fame, it mostly affirms its pleasures. Part of this stems from the autobiographical touches. George doesn’t double for Judd, though the filmmaker’s sympathies keep the character on the safe side. But this is Apatow’s world, his friends, his wife. His and Mann’s IRL daughters even play Laura’s children. If the fear of death haunts George only briefly it isn’t only because his disease goes on hiatus, it’s also because Judd seems to have become uncomfortable with or perhaps immune to the messiness of life. This, he seems to be saying, is as good as it gets, and man, is it ever good. He’s sentimentalized himself. Which is nice, but it almost comes across as just far too self-indulgent.

Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill bring the industry satire as Ira’s amusingly success-hungry roommates bragging about minor sitcom fame, while Eric Bana is a revelation as Laura’s overly macho Australian football-loving husband. How good is he? So good you’ll forgive him for Ang Lee’s Hulk.

Don’t expect Knocked Up. While there is a joke around almost every corner half the time it is used as deflection. Sure, there are some great moments of stand-up, but even those moments can carry additional baggage since the viewer knows the backstory in this documentary-esque/behind-the-scenes dramedy. Instead, expect Punch-Drunk Love. Apatow’s ability to keep me curious as to where he was going to take things next was this film’s saving grace in my case. Even though I didn’t get a lot out of where the film ended up, I must give credit to the director for keeping me interested. One warning though: repeat viewings of Funny People would have me siding more with the negative crowd than the positive as I can’t see this one holding up over time, but as a one-time showing, I came away with enough to say I was satisfied.