Funny People

The most important thing to remember when sitting down to watch this movie is that THIS IS NOT A COMEDY. Never mind that it stars Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, is directed by Judd Apatow, and is called "Funny People." But it is not a bad movie by any means.

In truth, whether or not you enjoy this film will depend largely on your opinion of Adam Sandler and his movies. If you are a fan of his moron comedy, and thought "Punch-Drunk Love" was pretentious crap, this may not be for you. If you've always found him obnoxious save for his dialed-down performance in P.T. Anderson's off-beat comedy, you might like this. It is probably Sandler's greatest performance to date.

And I mean, this is some serious Jack Nicholson in "Five Easy Pieces" type acting.

(Oh, this might also be a movie for people who enjoy stand-up comedy, because there is plenty on display here. But I digress.)

Sandler plays George Simmons, a lonely but successful comedian who has made his money selling out to the masses. The movies-within-a-movie we see look like Eddie Murphy fair, and like Apatow went out of his way to make George Simmons look like a worse comic sell-out than Sandler really is.

George is dying. And suddenly all his wealth and success is just one big wall that divides him from the living. He hasn't achieved anything substantial in his life. He starts going back to stand-up where his depressing shtick leaves audiences speechless.

Enter Ira Wright, struggling stand-up. Seth Rogen is lean and fit as Ira, a shy, awkward comic whose two roommates have found some success. Mark (Jason Schwartzman) is the star of a daytime sitcom called "Yo Teach," and uses his newfound success to get laid. Leo (Jonah Hill) has plugged into the YouTube scene. Ira just can't seem to find a niche, resorting to gross-out humor that is hit-or-miss.

When Ira follows up George's depressing set, he takes the opportunity to playfully tease and rip into the star and his unusually negative stand-up. George decides to offer him a job writing material for him, and winds up taking Ira under his wing. Ira, who along with his roommates grew up watching Simmons' work, finds himself the comedian's closest confidant.

And that's just the first act.

In truth, if the director and cast weren't so talented, this movie would cave under its own weight. Clocking in at almost two and a half hours it is too long to be accepted as a comedy. It's the richly-drawn characters that pull us through. This is an epic feat, as far as Apatowian storytelling goes. His movies tend to be on the long side, and this is even longer. But it works, even though it shouldn't. This was obviously a labor of love for Judd Apatow, and expands on his ability to stage drama in familiar and funny settings. What worked so well for "40-Year-Old-Virgin" and "Knocked Up" was the organic mixing of comedy and drama that didn't feel forced like most comedies. This is instead a drama that combines comedic elements to liven it up a bit.

The plot points all seem to play out separately. There is the disease, the cure, and the romance. And Eric Bana is pretty hilarious and frightening as the husband of George's old flame (Leslie Mann).

I guess, at the end, all I can say is try this movie. It's a lot better than people say it is, and I can see it growing on me with multiple viewings. But it is not a simple feel-good comedy. It's much deeper than that, without the usual easy answers. And it displays a side of Adam Sandler I wish he'd show more. And it is one more reason why I think Seth Rogen is a welcome voice in the new generation of comedy.