Funny People

Director: Judd Apatow

Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill

Judd Apatow casts his former real-life roommate Adam Sandler as George Simmons, a comic superstar who learns in the movie's opening scene that he suffers from a rare blood disorder that will likely kill him within a year. This news gives him the impulse to go back out and work on his standup, something he hasn't done in years thanks to the massive success of his movie career. At a club, he meets struggling standup Ira Wright (Seth Rogen), takes a shine to him, and hires the young man both to write jokes and to be his personal assistant. Ira, who's been sleeping on a friend's pull-out couch and working a day job at a deli, enjoys the glimpse into the superstar lifestyle, but soon the protà (C)gà (C) discovers how selfish and egocentric his mentor really is. Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill, and a host of famous standup comics make cameo appearances as themselves.

This is, perhaps, Apatow's most mature film to date, and can be seen perhaps as a study of where he actually fits into the world now with his A-lister status. The unscripted nature of the stand-up segments (the cast were encouraged to write their own routines and play them out for real) make for mixed responses, but certainly showcase the love Apatow has for stand-up, a forlorn longing for a return to the earlier, more carefree comedy of his youth. As a character study it is interesting to consider Rogan and Sandler as two aspects of the same person, only separated by experience and wealth. 

Most daring is the casting of Sandler in a role which basically strips away all the layers of his own real life. The fake films Simmon's has been cast in over the years are exactly the kind of films you could see Sandler performing in. It is as though Sandler himself is trying to work through issues via this film, just as Apatow seems to be. It is very courageous, and commendable, of Sandler to play a role that could be seen by his detractors to be a pure representation of himself - someone who surrounds himself with sycophants who tell him how wonderful he is, and never liking to be told what to do. It has certainly earned the comic actor a lot more respect from me. 

The film will certainly not be to everyone's taste. Adam Sandler fans will hate it, and those expecting Anchorman style japery will be sorely disappointed. However, go in anticipating a film which is not starring 'funny people' but is a drama about 'funny people' and there will be plenty to love.