The success Judd Apatow has had ever since the release of The 40-Year-Old Virgin has been enough to garner him a pass when it comes to the many projects he has since executive produced along the way;
but it's his own unique blend of "raunchy dramedy" that seems to draw people into his work.
Just look at the critical acclaim that came with, again, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. While both films featured over-the-top subject matter, the depth of Apatow's creative writing allowed viewers to see the lighthearted side of what he was trying to get across on screen and with Funny People, Apatow may have just delivered his most grown up film to date.
But at what costs? To say that many people may be turned off by what Funny People actually is too much of a blanketed statement but, still, that should not take away from how brilliantly creative this movie really is. Instead, Apatow, who has always had a high, character driven approach to his films, crafts yet another ingenuous story around such flawed characters and the end result on screen is damn near comedic gold.
Especially when considering all the talent that was assembled to make this film. The always funny Seth Rogen is great here as George's assistant, Ira; but what I found even more intriguing was the chemistry of all the lesser known actors/comedians with one another. Jason Schwartzman, Jonah Hill, Aubrey Plaza, and Leslie Mann all compliment Adam and Seth really well and, again, I guess that all goes back to the depth that Judd Apatow has as a writer/director. Clearly his sense of direction rubs off on everybody involved and, last I checked, that kind of thing makes for a great movie. Not to mention, some pretty great improv.
Which, I'm sure a lot of the film turned out to be as compared to what was actually scripted beforehand. That kind of thing is routine for an Apatow film but here, especially, it works really well for the "heavy" subplot that lies at the heart of the story.
Now, while I won't give anything away, what I will say is that Funny People will be hit or miss for some people. It's long running time does become a distraction at times but, in the grand scheme of things, the one thing this film does prove is that laughter really is the best medicine. Just ask George Simmons.
but it's his own unique blend of "raunchy dramedy" that seems to draw people into his work.Just look at the critical acclaim that came with, again, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. While both films featured over-the-top subject matter, the depth of Apatow's creative writing allowed viewers to see the lighthearted side of what he was trying to get across on screen and with Funny People, Apatow may have just delivered his most grown up film to date.
But at what costs? To say that many people may be turned off by what Funny People actually is too much of a blanketed statement but, still, that should not take away from how brilliantly creative this movie really is. Instead, Apatow, who has always had a high, character driven approach to his films, crafts yet another ingenuous story around such flawed characters and the end result on screen is damn near comedic gold.
Especially when considering all the talent that was assembled to make this film. The always funny Seth Rogen is great here as George's assistant, Ira; but what I found even more intriguing was the chemistry of all the lesser known actors/comedians with one another. Jason Schwartzman, Jonah Hill, Aubrey Plaza, and Leslie Mann all compliment Adam and Seth really well and, again, I guess that all goes back to the depth that Judd Apatow has as a writer/director. Clearly his sense of direction rubs off on everybody involved and, last I checked, that kind of thing makes for a great movie. Not to mention, some pretty great improv.
Which, I'm sure a lot of the film turned out to be as compared to what was actually scripted beforehand. That kind of thing is routine for an Apatow film but here, especially, it works really well for the "heavy" subplot that lies at the heart of the story.
Now, while I won't give anything away, what I will say is that Funny People will be hit or miss for some people. It's long running time does become a distraction at times but, in the grand scheme of things, the one thing this film does prove is that laughter really is the best medicine. Just ask George Simmons.
Rating: 3 inkblots out of 5
2 comments:
I thought funny people was very insightful and pretty realistic. Almost done like a biopic of what would've happened to Adam S. if he kept going down one side of life instead of the path he chose. Great movie, T give this one another inkblot!
I didn't like it. I get dark humor, but there wasn't enough of it in this film... if that's what it was going for. It had its moments, and over all was alright, I just wasn't impressed. Maybe it's b/c I'm a girl. Anyways, I'll watch his next film. Just won't buy this one.
Post a Comment