Chances are if you've watched a comedy from the past five years, Judd Apatow had a hand in it. The man has been everywhere. Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Superbad, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express ... the list goes on and on. What many people don't realize however, is that Funny People is only Apatow's third time sitting in the director's chair. In 2005, he released The 40 Year Old Virgin. 2007 gave us Knocked up. Now, two years later, Apatow has unleashed his most mature and intelligent film yet, filled with genuine drama to go with the dozens of dick jokes. Funny People tells the story of George Simmons (Adam Sandler like you've never seen him before), a hugely successful comedian who parlayed his fame into a career of crappy dumb comedies and a mansion on the water in Malibu. The ever-present Seth Rogen plays the much less successful Ira, a struggling stand-up comedian who worships Simmons and is thrilled when he gets the chance to be his personal assistant. George has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and the prognosis is not good. With Ira in tow, he hits the stand-up circuit again, with an eye on recapturing his old flame, the proverbial one-that-got-away, played by the wonderful Leslie Mann. What follows is the story of two men's often difficult relationship with each other and one's man's quest to resurrect the dead relationship of his past.
Sound like a comedy yet? And while Apatow's script deals with some very serious issues, some of which are unexplored territory in the comedy genre, his preternatural ability to strike the perfect balance between plot and comedy ensures that Funny People never turns into a corny rom-com. These are very real, very flawed people, and many of the funniest bits come from the several stand-up scenes scattered throughout the film. Apatow has stated that he always tries to begin with a good story first and add the comedy second. With Funny People, Apatow has created a near-perfect marriage of drama and comedy as he sets a very serious story in the world of comedians and comics. Now that's not to say that one should go into the theater expecting a high-brow comedy like Fargo or The Royal Tenenbaums. This is a movie starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, after all. Funny People is filled to the brim with cursing and bathroom humor, just as all of Apatow's films are, and while it may not be quite as hilarious as The 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up, Funny People definitely represents the maturation, and thus-far culmination, of Apatow's considerable talents as a filmmaker.
Along with another excellent script from Apatow, the real story of Funny People is the staggeringly good cast, with seemingly everyone in Hollywood stopping by for a scene or two. Adam Sandler is absolutely excellent as the depressed and lonely George. From that description you might think that Sandler plays him as a one-note character, content to paint his downcast attitude in broad, easy strokes. Instead, this is perhaps the best performance of Sandler's career, and certainly the most effective. Sandler doesn't try and mine the character for pity and sympathy, instead crafting a believable portrait of a self-centered, rather unpleasant millionaire comedian who the audience still manages to identify and empathize with. Rogen, I must say, is still playing a variation of his typical everyman protagonist role, but for some reason, I find his work in this film to be a step up from his roles in the past. There is just more depth here, and like Sandler, Rogen is able to craft a flawed and believable character that audiences won't feel like they've seen a thousand times before. Rogen has been playing these characters for a while now, and the role suits him well. Both Sandler and Rogen are hysterically funny at times, with some of the films' best moments coming during Rogen's stand-up scenes. Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill also do great work as Ira's more succesful roommates and Eric Bana shows off his long dormant comedy skills as the wandering husband of Leslie Mann's character. Mann is just great in the role, and Apatow films her in a way only a loving husband could, with every shot lovingly lingering on his admittedly beautiful wife. Apatow's two adorable daughters also return from Knocked Up, and their chemistry with Mann is an obvious and welcome addition. The film is also littered with celebrity cameos with everyone from Norm MacDonald to Ray Romano to a very funny Eminem making an appearance. The comedy zones of Hollywood are fully explored over the course of Funny People's running time, and the audience is better off for it.
With Funny People, Judd Apatow has crafted his warmest and most intelligent film yet, filled with great performances from a fine cast, a heartfelt story you actually care about, and more penis jokes than you can shake a ... stick at. With each of his three films, Apatow has demonstrated a more refined and mature approach and Funny People is the crowning achievement of his career. With Funny People he has shown himself to be a true filmmaker. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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