DVD Review: "Funny People”

Comments 0
Published: November 13, 2009

Modern comedy’s reigning king of arrested adolescence tried to grow up this year with "Funny People,” a personal meditation on mortality and a darkly comic view of what it’s like to be a successful comedian. Not surprisingly, it had a great first week at theaters followed by a steep decline. Adam Sandler’s pointed portrayal of superstar stand-up George Simmons proved unpopular with fair-weather fans. In essence, "Funny People” is a James L. Brooks film with anatomy jokes, and like a Brooks film, it has characters worth caring about and points where the expected laughs turns tragic.

Simmons is first seen making prank calls in his early 20s (Apatow shot Sandler’s antics when they were roommates), but then cuts to the king of comedy two decades later, when he’s successful but unhappy, isolated and recently diagnosed with a serious illness. A surprise performance at a comedy club leads to an unlikely alliance with Ira Wright (Seth Rogen), a struggling comedian who becomes Simmons’ assistant. As Ira follows George through his treatment, he learns about his craft, enables Simmons’ obsession with former girlfriend Laura (Leslie Mann) and begins to find his comic voice.

"Funny People” is filled with great supporting performers including Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman and Aubrey Plaza as Ira’s snarky love interest, but an overlong sojourn in pursuit of Laura needed some shrewd editing.

As for the extras, nearly every in-joke in "Funny People” gets amplified by copious bonus features. The film has more limited appeal than "Knocked Up” or "The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” but "Funny People” is proof that Apatow is channeling his energies into deeper territory. Not everything will strike comedy gold, but this filmmaker will probably never be boring.

— George Lang