Funny People

(for some reason my snob images aren't working...i will fix that when it is fixable. for now, I give this 3.5/5 noses in the air)




So……Funny People. It was funny. Very funny in some parts. In fairness, it was about stand-up comedians so it did sort-of have a responsibility to make me laugh at least a little bit. But, I don’t know. There was something about it that I just didn’t love. DISCLAIMER: This one is hard to review without revealing some spoilers so, read it at your own risk. Because I’m not going to make any effort to keep things a secret. That’s not my game. Honestly, it’s not that big a deal, anyway. This wasn’t The Crying Game for christsake.
George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is dying. Then he’s not dying anymore. He’s nice to Ira Wright (Seth Rogen). Then he’s a total dick to him. The only real constant is his desire to have back the one that got away (Laura, played by Leslie Mann). I don’t know why he wants back the “girl” who is built like a 12 year-old boy and has a face that has, well, let’s just say it’s seen better days (she looked pretty good in Big Daddy…she was curvier and didn’t have the face of an old broad) but, he does. Fine. To each his or her own. I guess she’s still better looking than Adam Sandler.
So they (George and Ira) end-up at Laura’s home in Marin county, playing with her kids and fucking her in her guest cottage (just one of them does that part…both of them probably would have pushed this to an “X” rating). Then her husband, Clark (played by the fabulously manly and handsome Eric Bana…seriously, he is 6’3” of perfection, with the exception of his weird non-matching ears) shows-up, steals a few scenes then beats the hell out of George. The fight scene was stupid (as are most fight scenes that don’t include either Borat or a member of the Bad Girl’s Club) but I liked that Clark wasn’t actually cheating on the ugly bitch, as she had claimed. I really just cannot stand the sound of Leslie Mann’s voice! Judd, how DO you listen to that voice on the regular? I’m guessing she must be pretty generous with the hand release. There’s just no other explanation for keeping her around.
And I was pissed that Ira apparently agreed to get back in cahoots w/George at the end. And I know Ira is Schmira and has no backbone to speak of but I still think his character had gotten to the point where he should have told George to go fuck himself. Honestly, I was hoping George’s terminal disease would return and put him away for good at the end of the movie. And it didn’t. There. Now you don’t have to see the movie.

The Good:
1. Seth Rogen. He is just delightful. Truth-be-told, FS himself is kind of Rogenesque, looks-wise. But cuter. You know, he’s one of those 20 to 40-something Jewish, but not too Jewish guys who’s got the Jewfro, pastywhite skin and beady eyes? Yeah, that. And they make you laugh? Yup. I fall for that shit everytime.
2. I liked the banter/scenes w/Shmira and his roommates Leo and Mark (Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman). Hill never fails to crack me up even though he never strays far from the same role. Something about him just makes me laugh (if you, too want a laugh, check-out Hill’s photo on the IMDB. He looks positively svelte compared to his current rotund-self).

The Bad:
1. Judd Apatow’s and Leslie Mann’s kids are in the movie. Again. As her kids. It’s getting old. Honestly, if there were something special about the kid roles they play and these girls fit the bill w/those special qualities, that would be fine. But they play average kids and when you make movies that already have the same core group of actors, to then put your kids in them…playing your IRL wife’s kids…it is tiring. Judd, I know you are reading this so hear my plea: Enough already! It’s bad enough your wife has hit the wall, looks-wise (see “The Ugly, below) but we don’t ALSO need to not be charmed by your average kids every time we plunk down our $9.50 to see one of your flix.
2. George Simmons was just an asshole. I was glad both he and Laura basically didn’t get what they wanted and got what they deserved.

The Ugly:
• Leslie Mann. Sorry. She’s lost her looks (and “lost” is the right term…she used to look good) and plays the same part…whiny, useless wife of sexy, wealthy man who has a profession which keeps him away from her as much as possible…in every movie.

What I learned:
• The same thing everyone else learned. That we don’t EVER EVER EVER again want to see Seth, Jonah and Leslie (especially Leslie) in a Judd Apatow movie. No more. Enough already. Tweaking/shuffling the cast just a bit for each movie isn’t gonna cut it anymore. Try it again and we the people are gonna revolt. Mark my words. “You’ll be sorry, Pee Wee Herman!” - F. Buxton