“Funny People” Review

I fully expected to breeze through this Adam Sandler flick without much to say.  I wasn’t expecting it to be bad — but I will admit that I was not too enthused about another film with Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill doing their usual schtick.  However, I did like Judd Apatow’s first two directorial efforts, “40 Year Old Virgin” & “Knocked Up”.  And I have always been a fan of Sandler, despite the occasionally dreadful mistake along the way (“Little Nicky”, “Mr Deeds” etc).  He is especially good in the more serious roles he has attempted — “Punch Drunk Love” and “Click” were both fantastic and he acquitted himself nicely in “Reign Over Me”.  In “Funny People”, Sandler gives a superb performance as a very famous comedian with a grave illness that threatens his life.  Realizing that he has no true friends, he ends up hiring an assistant (Rogen)  who quickly becomes his closest pal — and he also reconnects with his first and only true love (Leslie Mann).  Everyone is terrific here.  The film is observant and poignant, hilarious and honest.  For the first 80% of the film, I thought it was a magnificent movie — one of the year’s very best films.  Unfortunately, it stumbles a little in the final act with a couple of scenes that seem pieced together and ring false (the fight scene in particular).  Nevertheless, I highly recommend the film and urge you to seek it out.