Writer: Judd Apatow
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann
Release Date: July 31, 2009
Length: 2 hours 18 minutes
Hopes and dreams dashed against the rocks. Those are mine of course – not Appatow’s. Now that Judd Apatow is rich and successful, he is trying different things with his movies, and I don’t like it. After seeing this movie, I wish that Judd Apatow was still writing his outrageously funny movies – like Knocked Up and 40-year-old Virgin - that made me almost have a heart attack, I would be laughing so hard. Now he has taken a dramatic and confusing turn with Funny People. The movie stars Adam Sandler as George Simmons, a washed out dying comedian and Seth Rogen as Ira Wright, a young struggling comedian. Ira lives in L.A. with his two friends, Leo (Jonah Hill) and Mark (Jason Schwartzman). After watching Ira’s performance one night, George decides to hire him to write his jokes. As George Simmons is Ira’s basic hero, he agrees and starts writing. As this partnership continues, George and Ira don’t exactly become friends, but likable people to each other and Ira learns that George is dying. The plot outline I just described was for one of two movies that were squished together in Funny People. One of the main characters Laura(Leslie Mann),who had a leading credit was only introduced an hour into the film. Laura is George’s ex from a long time ago, having ended their relationship because he cheated on her. Now she has a husband(Eric Bana) and two kids(played by Mann’s real-life children), living in San Francisco. George realizes he’s still in love with her and tells her he is dying. So all of a sudden Funny People is no longer a comedy, but now tries to be a tragic love story. This film is two different movies, one hour of Seth Rogen living in L.A. with his fellow comedian roommates doing stand-up. He then continues on to meet George Simmons and writes jokes for him, as their friendship grows. The next hour was a completely different movie. This half consists more of an intense love triangle, with Leslie Mann and Eric Bana where everything is depended on if Laura (Mann) is going to leave her husband or not. Funny People is mildly humorous in parts. The only laughs brought out of me were from the scenes with Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill. Sandler’s character is not likable at all and I found it extremely hard to sympathize for him. Also the movie is extremely long and you should know going into it that you’re not going to laugh that much. Don’t bother with Funny People.
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