Movie Review: FUNNY PEOPLE
I knew going into Judd Apatow’s new movie Funny People, that it was going to be a full blown comedy. From the trailer I knew that there was going to be some drama involved, and this movie is definitely a dramady. There is an equal amount of comedy and drama involved with this film. It is a pretty mature story, dealing with some very serious life issues. Don’t expect to be laughing your ass off in this film, sure, it’s funny, and I laughed a few times, but this movie is first and foremost not a comedy.
That being said I really liked the movie. The story and characters were incredibly strong, and when the movie was supposed to be funny it really was. The story follows seasoned comedian George Simmons as he learns that he has terminal illness. It is through this life changing event that he forms a genuine friendship with a young comedian trying to make it in the comedy world.
One of the best parts of the movie were the actor involved with the film. They are all absolutely wonderful to watch play their characters. The chemistry between everyone was perfect. I love seeing Adam Sandler take on roles like this where he gets the opportunity to show off his acting chops. Yes, he is a funny guy, but he has got some great acting skills, and the character he plays in this highlights them. The most also stars Seth Rogan, Lesilie Mann, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aubry Plaza and Eric Bana. Each one of them brought their own special talents to the table to bring their characters to life.
If you are looking for a raunchy juvenile comedy, then this is not it, even though it may seem like it. There are lots of dick jokes, and stuff like that, but it’s all just filler dialogue to make all of the heavy drama easy digest, and it is successful in doing that. I really liked the fact that they used a lot of Adam Sandler's old video's that he made throughout his career to help tell his story. The one bad thing that I noticed is that the movie kind of drags on a little too long.
Judd Apatow did another great job bringing us a solid movie, that works on playing with several of our emotions. I like how there are valuable lessons to be learned in the films that he makes, and the same goes for this one. This isn’t the best movie of the year and it isn’t the funniest, but it’s an enjoyable, well made film that is worth watching at least once. So check it out if you get the chance, if for anything, to see Sandler give a great performance.