Funny People - Move Review

Funny People was brought to us by Judd Apatow himself - written and directed – during the cooling off period of Apatow-mania. This film was described by Apatow as a “passion project,” and is based on moments in real life experiences from him and comedians.



Adam Sandler plays highly successful comedian/movie star George Simmons. He has gained all the luxuries that life could possibly offer someone of his career status but is thrown a harsh reality check when a trip to the doctor’s office shatters his entire world. He is diagnosed with a distinct, surely incurable blood disease.


After soaking in the news, he decides he wants to return to standup comedy on a regular basis. During an impromptu appearance where his grim attitude is beginning to show in his stage material, he meets upcoming comedian and George Simmons fan - Ira Wright (Seth Rogen). Ira is the farthest behind in the standup game; still working at a deli shop and sleeping on the foldout couch in the apartment rented out by his two friends Leo (Jonah Hill) and Mark (Jason Schwartzman). Leo’s standup career is slightly further along than Ira’s and Mark is already starring in his own high-school sitcom that all of his friends find painfully unfunny and degrading. It’s a low-grade mockery of Head of the Class.


Once Ira goes on stage he takes shots at the seemingly grim George Simmons and then has a fate-filled meeting with him afterwards in the parking lot where George complements Ira on his material and then tries to mow him down with his truck. The next day, Ira finds himself working as Simmons’ assistant, joke-writer, and all-day-insult-taker.


Eventually, George opens up to Ira about the disease and hopes that Ira will keep it a secret while George comes to terms with it himself and the people he knows best, which are not many because after he found success he did everything possible to alienate all of his loved ones away, including his ex-girlfriend Laura, whom he lost by being unfaithful. But once she finds out about the disease, they suddenly start rekindling some form of a relationship despite Laura already being married to a business executive, Clarke (Eric Bana) and having two daughters. Needless to say, here comes trouble.


Adam Sandler’s performance is good if not for the redundant granny voice routine. Rogen’s character is more innocent than any other role he’s taken and he plays it well, especially when it comes to being clueless about women. What I really liked is that Erica Bana doesn’t hide his Australian accent, and I wish Hollywood would allow these foreign actors to stop faking an American one, even though most of them are great at it while others like Gerard Butler make for great spoofing material on sketch comedy shows.


Funny People starts off strong and tries to be an emotional rollercoaster. There are many amusing and laughable moments throughout the film, including Eminem cursing out Ray Romano and Ira’s breakdown in front of George in a public restaurant, but once the film hits the middle – it doesn’t necessarily fall apart, but the story just isn’t as good anymore. It flames out and doesn’t care to be reignited, and then it keeps going and going and going, becoming one of those films that should have ended when it had the chance.