Funny People

Everyone loses their sense of humour sometimes. It’s even worse if you make your living by making others laugh. I really would not have expected Judd Apatow to make a sad film about people who have taken being funny as their mission in life. Of course, there are jokes on the topic of “when the penis met the vagina”, celebrity cameos (particularly by stand-up comedians this time) and female characters written with little understanding and who are just as Apatow would want to have them in his ideal world, i.e. laughing at sexist jokes and down to fuck. The core of the story comprises two men, namely the characters played by Sandler and Rogen. They are good at comedy, but also convincing in more serious situations. I’m glad to have spent time with them and I didn’t mind too much when they just blathered about nothing. It seemed that the film dealt with more serious matters and it wasn’t entirely awkward in doing so. On the contrary, there are a few scenes that almost moved me, when Apatow sets aside his need to show that he knows how to be funny. Really. Only in the second half, when there are just a few minor surprises but no essential twist happens, does the chattering start to be excessive, as its importance to the film would rather relegate it to the out-takes on the DVD (of which there is still more than an hour). They characters just go over more or less the same thing again and again and not even the character played by Eric Bana (written in probably because the director/screenwriter is a fan of Hulk) brings anything new to the table. If Apatow wants to prove that he can do more than “just” very well-made comedies, he will have to be more ruthless with the editing next time. Based on this unhealthily ambitious attempt, I believe that he is capable of making an equally well-balanced mix of comedy and drama as Woody Allen was at the peak of his career. 75% (04.05.2012)

More of an existential drama than a comedy. And Sandler is good at acting this type of guy and it’s a joy to follow his verbal exchanges with Rogen. The excessive length bothered me a little (I was glued to my armchair in the end), but on the other hand, I don’t know what I would have left out, because I really enjoyed myself the whole time. I also enjoyed the many star cameos. Personally, that Aussie Oz Eric Bana got to me most. :-) (09.12.2009)

I like Adam Sandler and I'll probably always root for him. This film has a bit of an overlong runtime, and by the time it deals with the main character's relationship with his former love, I found it too boring. Otherwise, there was a great cast of actors who were a good match for each other, and I had a good time with them. (05.02.2018)

Adam Sandler to Eric Bana: “If I looked like you, I’d be at home all day fucking myself.” This is one of the few lines in this sad comedy that will make you laugh out loud. But you will enjoy your time with the characters and that’s what it’s all about. About relationships, the need to have someone close, the importance of past love and the fact that being rich and famous doesn’t mean not being lonely. On the contrary, the opposite is true. Judd Apatow perfectly escalates most of the dialogue scenes, reveals life behind the Hollywood glamor and lets the actors shine “internally”. But the two-and-a-halfhour runtime is really too much for the given genre. (17.06.2013)

I couldn't watch it, so I turned it off about halfway through the movie. Sticking with a 2.5-hour long comedy that is also not funny at all is a superhuman feat for me. Plus, I couldn't watch my favorite actor Adam Sandler turn into a complete jerk in my eyes... Boo! (28.10.2010)