Apatow might think longer is better, but brevity is the soul of comedy. Endless raunchy dialogue spouted by boy-men just can't sustain the pic's length. Superstar comedian George Simmons (Sandler) learns he has a rare and probably fatal illness. George, of course, lives only for performing and has no friends because offstage he's such a jerk. Aspiring comedian Ira (Rogen) can write material but he's a lousy performer so George makes him his personal assistant. George decides to seriously go after his onetime love (Mann) who's married with children. (Let's see--agonizing over Eric Bana or Adam Sandler? Only in Apatow-land.) Momentum mostly gets lost in the third act when it goes all serious.
Watching Judd Apatow's Funny People is akin to watching a friend try a new stand-up routine. You admire the effort it takes to get up there and put yourself on the line, but it's easier to be kinder to the ambition than the execution. I love many of the pieces ...Read More