Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler are two of the most iconic comedic actors in the business, the former of which has become increasingly popular over the last couple of years. So here it finally is: a collaboration project harbored by modern comedy's most sacred helmer: Judd Apatow. And, simply put, Funny People is the year's next best dramedy, after Adventureland, of course.
Judd Apatow is no stranger to comedy. Having produced a large batch of popular comedies from Forgetting Sarah Marshall to Pineapple Express and directing and writing two other insanely popular and incredible films, Knocked Up and The 40-Year Old Virgin, Apatow is perfectly suited for this type of film, the ultimate bromantic dramedy.
Dying of a rare blood disease, comedy-movie actor George Simmons (Adam Sandler) picks up a struggling comedian, Ira (Seth Rogen) to serve as not only his assistant, but also something of a friend. Simmons, who rarely holds friendships for long periods of time, quickly develops a bizarre but powerful bond with Ira, and attempts to right some of the wrongs in his life by trying to reignite the love of his old flame Laura (Leslie Mann), one of the only people in his life that he was truly head-over-heels in love with.
Seth Rogen has quickly become one of my favorite actors. After seeing him glow in a bit role he had in The 40-Year Old Virgin, he continued to outshine some of the best in the business through subtle comedic performances in films like Pineapple Express and Observe and Report. Rogen, having lost a lot of weight since he was last seen on the big screen, is absolutely at the top of his game here, especially in a role which requires him to show some emotional depth. His character, Ira, seemed to share an insanely deep connection with George, deeper than just them being friends. It seemed to be more on a personal level; Ira never really connected well with people in general or found much success in relationships, so he thought of Simmons as something of a role model. Along the way though, he starts to see that Simmons may be just as troubled as Ira but in different ways, and during a fight late in the movie, Rogen explodes with the kind of passion that certain actors could only dream of being able to achieve.
Adam Sandler is quite different from the normal role he plays here. He's still playing the funny man, but this time, it feels a little more real, more personal. He's a fading comedian whose movies rarely tend to be funny, he's depressed, he's dying... and I totally believed it every step of the way. Sandler is definitely believable in the role, something we haven't seen much of aside from his stellar turns in both 2002's Punch-Drunk Love and 2007's Reign Over Me. George Simmons makes movies that oftentimes mirror Sandler's own choices in films, something that makes the movie even more fun because he doesn't mind picking fun at himself.
Leslie Mann, the arguable third lead cast member in Funny People, has popped up in more than one Apatow-related production. Most recently, she was in 17 Again with Zac Efron. As Laura, Mann is perfectly well-rounded and conflicted, making her character way more interesting than it probably appeared to be on paper. She takes what could easily have been a misstep of a dull role and transforms it into a heartfelt, semi-deep performance.
The supporting cast, as always in an Apatow film, is one of the many deciding factors that makes the movie so extraordinary. There's tons and tons of cameos, from Sarah Silverman to Eminem, but the larger roles are definitely the meat of the movie. Jason Schwartzman plays a cocky sitcom star, Jonah Hill plays a plus-sized comedian, Eric Bana plays Mann's over-protective Australian husband, and several more. Even the kids are exceptionally well-rounded and adorable child actors. There's really just no losing in the movie no matter how small or insignificant your role may be.
Where Funny People succeeds the most is in its combination of comedy and drama. The message of the movie is all about rediscovering yourself and really trying to give things another try, because in life you rarely have that opportunity. The idea of death is scary, and the movie does mask this fear well, but when it gets right down to the raw, emotional stuff, it succeeds even more. It's great to see all of the actors step up to the plate and just embrace it with such open arms. Some of the most heartwarming scenes in the film involve Seth Rogen comforting Adam Sandler by his bedside. The whole notion that two guys could be this close without being physical is just altogether poetic, and takes the bounds of bromance so much farther than what was achieved most fantastically earlier this year with I Love You, Man.
Running almost two-and-a-half hours, Funny People is definitely one of the longer comedies to hit theaters this year, but also one of the best. In terms of emotional intensity and laugh-till-you-cry moments, you'd be hard-pressed to match the subtle brilliance of this film. Apatow knows his young audience, and commands the screen like a real pro. Marrying Rogen and Sandler into one movie couldn't have possibly been a more perfect notion. Was it quite as good as Knocked Up? Superbad? Only time will tell. It's hard to judge a film the first time you see it. But Apatow has, without a doubt, made his most mature film to date, and audiences everywhere are sure to appreciate such a finely scripted dramedy.
Judd Apatow is no stranger to comedy. Having produced a large batch of popular comedies from Forgetting Sarah Marshall to Pineapple Express and directing and writing two other insanely popular and incredible films, Knocked Up and The 40-Year Old Virgin, Apatow is perfectly suited for this type of film, the ultimate bromantic dramedy.
Dying of a rare blood disease, comedy-movie actor George Simmons (Adam Sandler) picks up a struggling comedian, Ira (Seth Rogen) to serve as not only his assistant, but also something of a friend. Simmons, who rarely holds friendships for long periods of time, quickly develops a bizarre but powerful bond with Ira, and attempts to right some of the wrongs in his life by trying to reignite the love of his old flame Laura (Leslie Mann), one of the only people in his life that he was truly head-over-heels in love with.
Seth Rogen has quickly become one of my favorite actors. After seeing him glow in a bit role he had in The 40-Year Old Virgin, he continued to outshine some of the best in the business through subtle comedic performances in films like Pineapple Express and Observe and Report. Rogen, having lost a lot of weight since he was last seen on the big screen, is absolutely at the top of his game here, especially in a role which requires him to show some emotional depth. His character, Ira, seemed to share an insanely deep connection with George, deeper than just them being friends. It seemed to be more on a personal level; Ira never really connected well with people in general or found much success in relationships, so he thought of Simmons as something of a role model. Along the way though, he starts to see that Simmons may be just as troubled as Ira but in different ways, and during a fight late in the movie, Rogen explodes with the kind of passion that certain actors could only dream of being able to achieve.
Adam Sandler is quite different from the normal role he plays here. He's still playing the funny man, but this time, it feels a little more real, more personal. He's a fading comedian whose movies rarely tend to be funny, he's depressed, he's dying... and I totally believed it every step of the way. Sandler is definitely believable in the role, something we haven't seen much of aside from his stellar turns in both 2002's Punch-Drunk Love and 2007's Reign Over Me. George Simmons makes movies that oftentimes mirror Sandler's own choices in films, something that makes the movie even more fun because he doesn't mind picking fun at himself.
Leslie Mann, the arguable third lead cast member in Funny People, has popped up in more than one Apatow-related production. Most recently, she was in 17 Again with Zac Efron. As Laura, Mann is perfectly well-rounded and conflicted, making her character way more interesting than it probably appeared to be on paper. She takes what could easily have been a misstep of a dull role and transforms it into a heartfelt, semi-deep performance.
The supporting cast, as always in an Apatow film, is one of the many deciding factors that makes the movie so extraordinary. There's tons and tons of cameos, from Sarah Silverman to Eminem, but the larger roles are definitely the meat of the movie. Jason Schwartzman plays a cocky sitcom star, Jonah Hill plays a plus-sized comedian, Eric Bana plays Mann's over-protective Australian husband, and several more. Even the kids are exceptionally well-rounded and adorable child actors. There's really just no losing in the movie no matter how small or insignificant your role may be.
Where Funny People succeeds the most is in its combination of comedy and drama. The message of the movie is all about rediscovering yourself and really trying to give things another try, because in life you rarely have that opportunity. The idea of death is scary, and the movie does mask this fear well, but when it gets right down to the raw, emotional stuff, it succeeds even more. It's great to see all of the actors step up to the plate and just embrace it with such open arms. Some of the most heartwarming scenes in the film involve Seth Rogen comforting Adam Sandler by his bedside. The whole notion that two guys could be this close without being physical is just altogether poetic, and takes the bounds of bromance so much farther than what was achieved most fantastically earlier this year with I Love You, Man.
Running almost two-and-a-half hours, Funny People is definitely one of the longer comedies to hit theaters this year, but also one of the best. In terms of emotional intensity and laugh-till-you-cry moments, you'd be hard-pressed to match the subtle brilliance of this film. Apatow knows his young audience, and commands the screen like a real pro. Marrying Rogen and Sandler into one movie couldn't have possibly been a more perfect notion. Was it quite as good as Knocked Up? Superbad? Only time will tell. It's hard to judge a film the first time you see it. But Apatow has, without a doubt, made his most mature film to date, and audiences everywhere are sure to appreciate such a finely scripted dramedy.