FUNNY PEOPLE
RYAN: It’s safe to say we’re die-hard Judd Apatow fans – his brand of humor just works for us. Howe’er, “Funny People” is perhaps not aptly named.
CAROLINE: Well, it’s about comedians so it’s somewhat aptly named. But the movie itself is basically a drama with some comedic moments, and I was so not expecting that. I didn’t laugh nearly as much as I wanted to.
RYAN: One of the first things I noticed in this movie was the egregious product placement – MySpace and Red Bull were literally written into the plot, and that annoyed me to no end.
CAROLINE: The cast is great – Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Leslie Mann and Eric Bana – and it’s very well made; but I’m not sure what else I can say about it that’s super positive. It’s way too long, as are all Judd Apatow movies. The beginning set-up takes forever. The first hour is basically a movie about Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler and their relationship. I was like, “Where is the rest of the cast?”
RYAN: Even though all his movies are too long, this one felt more painful since it’s more of a drama. A comedy moves more quickly, and at least you’re distracted by laughing. Adam Sandler, however, gives a decent dramatic performance, which Ben Stiller could never have pulled off btw. But I’m so over his annoying baby talk.
CAROLINE: I liked Adam, and pretty much the whole cast, but the whole build up was just way too focused on Adam and Seth and the mentoring thing. I wanted more from the rest of the cast.
RYAN: It felt like a bromance movie.
CAROLINE: Totally. I will say Seth Rogen is looking great. He looks much more like he did in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” minus the facial hair. But a lot of this movie is just about screwed up marriages and warped Hollywood relationships and it’s depressing. Then factor in the cancer. It’s like a relationship drama meets “Love Story.”
RYAN: It’s a cancer movie with some comedy. The house that Adam Sandler’s character lives in is amazing. And I loved all the cameos from different famous comedians; except for Paul Reiser, who looks awful.
CAROLINE: I love him, but he’s gray and doughy now.
RYAN: The fake movie clips they made for Adam Sandler’s character are great too. But someone needs to put Jonah Hill on the Seth Rogen diet plan pronto, or he’s gonna die.
CAROLINE: He’s appallingly fat; but only in the middle.
RYAN: Jason Schwartzman was surprisingly hilarious. I think I laughed more at him than anyone else in the movie.
CAROLINE: He was great. He’s annoyed me in the past, but he played Hollywood smarmy perfectly. This movie had some moments of humor that I appreciated, and I think it’s a realistic look at the life of a successful comedian, and what it’s like to be a struggling actor. But overall, I was disappointed. I really wanted a comedy. I understand that Judd Apatow is allowed to branch out and try new things, but this didn’t quite work.
RYAN: I was definitely in the mood for another great comedy from him, in the vein of “Knocked Up,” but this wasn’t it. Maybe my expectations were too high. My favorite part of the film was when Eric Bana finally showed up. He’s looking hot, and I love hearing him with his Aussie accent.
CAROLINE: Yeah, he’s not in the movie till like an hour and a half in, and it almost felt like two different movies as a result. The first part is about trying to make it in Hollywood/possibly dying of cancer, and the second is about relationships and adultery. I liked Judd Apatow’s wife, Leslie Mann, but I’m getting a little annoyed that he keeps putting his kids in his movies. Does he want to screw them up even more by making them child actors? Plus, they’re cute, but they can’t act. They’re too aware of the camera being on them.
RYAN: They’re the comedy version of Willow and Jaden Smith.
CAROLINE: [laughs’ Exactly. I’m over it.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: It’s really a movie you can wait to catch on cable. It’s not laugh-tastic, nor is it a profound drama where you’ll get a good cry. It didn’t meet my expectations. I felt like I was itching for it to wrap up sooner. But fans of his movies should see it, because they will anyway, regardless of what we say.
CAROLINE: It’s not a total waste of time or anything, but I can’t recommend as strongly as I’d hoped to. I was pleased with the cast and parts of the story, but it wasn’t funny enough. It was dramatic and slow, and therefore didn’t feel like a Judd Apatow movie to me.
— RATING —
