Funny People

As was the case with Knocked Up, Funny People features a tremendously (and undeniably) overlong running time that ultimately hampers its overall effectiveness – which is a shame, really, as the movie’s opening hour is just about as appealing and entertaining as anything writer/director Judd Apatow has done in the past. The storyline follows successful comic/actor George Simmons (Adam Sandler) as he hires a struggling stand-up (Seth Rogen’s Ira Wright) as his assistant after being diagnosed with a fatal blood disease, with the movie’s first half essentially detailing the friendship that slowly-but-surely blossoms between the two men. It’s not surprising to note that Apatow has infused the early part of Funny People with a laid-back sensibility that’s perpetuated by a heavy emphasis on the various characters’ affable banter, and there’s little doubt that the filmmaker’s penchant for stressing dialogue over plot proves instrumental in initially drawing the viewer into the proceedings – as Apatow has, in accordance with the movie’s title, peppered the supporting cast with a number of genuinely hilarious folks (eg Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, etc). The expected mix of comedic and dramatic elements is pulled off surprisingly well, with Sandler and Rogen’s superb work ensuring that there’s a certain level of poignancy to the film’s more overtly sentimental moments. It’s only as George and Ira arrive at the home of George’s ex-girlfriend (Leslie Mann’s Laura) that Funny People begins to seriously run out of steam, as Apatow sacrifices the movie’s momentum to create a needless showcase for his admittedly talented family (Mann is his wife, while Laura’s two kids are played by the couple’s daughters). The thoroughly superfluous nature of the final half hour often threatens to negate the strength of everything that precedes it, and it’s subsequently clear that the film should’ve topped out somewhere around the 100 minute mark (ie two-and-a-half hours is just unreasonable for a movie of this ilk). The end result is a frustratingly uneven endeavor that’s generally entertaining enough to sustain the viewer’s interest, yet Apatow’s penchant for cramming simple stories into an epic framework is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook (ie if ever there were a filmmaker who should not be allowed final cut, it’s Apatow).

**1/2 out of ****