While not Judd Apatow's finest hour, Funny People still strikes the same rich vein of well-produced drama-comedy as previous efforts.
Funny People (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:209
Fresh:142
Rotten:67
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: Funny People features the requisite humor, as well as considerable emotional depth, resulting in Judd Apatow's most mature film to date.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for language and crude sexual humor throughout, and some sexuality.
Runtime: 4 hrs 59 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:28-08-2009
Synopsis:
Over the past few years, writer/director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) has shown that nothing?not even losing your virginity or the miracle of childbirth?is sacred. About his...
Over the past few years, writer/director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) has shown that nothing?not even losing your virginity or the miracle of childbirth?is sacred. About his third film behind the camera, he says, "I'm trying to make a very serious movie that is twice as funny as my other movies. Wish me luck!" Apatow directs Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann in Funny People, the story of a famous comedian who has a near-death experience.
Adam Sandler, Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman, RZA and newcomer Aubrey Plaza join a cast that reunites Judd Apatow with Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann and Jonah Hill in their third comedy together. --© Universal Pictures
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow, Aziz Ansari
Director: Judd Apatow
Director: Judd Apatow
Screenwriter: Judd Apatow
Producer: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend
Composer: Jason Schwartzman
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Funny People
A surfeit of the kind of crude, sexually graphic jokes that work in a darkly lit stand up comedy stores and Adam Sandler's unremittingly morose George drag the film down
A slice of life from a pie whose ingredients comprise the eccentricities, foibles, egos and motivations of jaded man who has forgotten why he does what he does. There are some great moments but plenty of self indulgence by Apatow as the film drags
It should probably have been apparent to Apatow, well versed in the structure of comedy on film, that it was far too long.
Apatow marries his edgier, raunchier humor with some more serious, thoughtful ideas and a gentler touch.
Funny People is a poignant examination of the loneliness caused by solipsism and self-centeredness, and the difficulty of breaking out of the inertia we create in our lives
The good parts of this movie are often wonderful, but Apatow never finds the rhythm to keep it going. It lurches from inspiration to inspiration, but always manages to muddy its feet in mediocrity in between, as it drags on toward the two-and-a-half-hour
"There is also something dark about Apatow, unstated but clinging to his films like smoke."
Comes mighty close to becoming something few film critics dreamed they would declare, an Adam Sandler masterpiece.
It could have been a great movie, but instead it's only a good one, mostly because it forgot the first rule of comedy: leave them wanting more, not wanting to leave.
Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) takes some interesting chances in this messy but engaging comedy, which suggests he may yet mature (no, seriously) into a filmmaker of substance.
Even on "The View" the day before the film opens, the ladies wondered whether men really talk about their own junk (and their friend's package) as much as they do in the movie, and whether women actually find that funny.
In its home stretch, Funny People's action drags so unnecessarily that it ... drains any impact from its refreshingly pragmatic view of second chances.
If you don't mind spending (alot of) time with some interesting characters, check it out. Just don't expect a focused story. (The first half of this is still really good though)
Rule number one for a comedy: If you need a character to say 'That's funny' after a lot of your jokes, they're probably not all that funny.
as interested in dissecting the psychology behind the jokes as telling them.
The film does a lot of things that Apatow's previous work did... but is almost ruined by a too-long running time and a third act that seems to drag on forever.
... a dark comedy that doesn't provide nearly enough laughs to make us embrace the nasty vibe
Funny People clicks best when the emphasis is on the funny, not on the people.
Latest News for Funny People
September 07, 2009:
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Richard Curtis has a plan. "What I've decided is to choose recent films," he explains to RT. "I do think that often people get stuck in always saying the five greatest films of... More...
August 02, 2009:
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Comedy heavyweights Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow claimed the number one spot with their new dramedy Funny People which debuted to only moderate results leading the entire top... More...
August 01, 2009:
Has its moments but when bad things happen to funny people, they might not be that funny anymore. ![]()
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July 31, 2009:
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Happy Friday Harvest, a weekly round-up of the best pictures, posters, and videos that have become available for viewing/download on Rotten Tomatoes. Each section features the... More...
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