Funny People (Blu-ray)

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I don´t find "Funny People" all that funny, but that isn´t to say I don´t enjoy the film. From mega-director Judd Apatow, who has become the voice of this generation in comedy, "Funny People" stars Apatow´s friend Seth Rogan and inconsistent A-Lister Adam Sandler. The film is Apatow´s most serious work to date and show´s a side of Sandler that is closer to his performances in "Reign Over Me" than his multitude of silly characters in the countless comedies he has starred in. The film includes Wu-Tang rapper RZA, Apatow stable-mate Johan Hill and familiar faces Eric Bana and Jason Schwartzman. The film is chocked full of cameos that includes Marshal Mathers, Paul Reiser, Norm MacDonald, Andy Dick, Ray Romano, Sarah Silverman and legendary musician James Taylor. "Funny People" is not Apatow´s best film to date, but it shows the power he has amassed in Hollywood and that he is more than capable of doing more ´mature´ films than what he has typically been associated with.

Seth Rogan is becoming one of my favorite young actors after starring in films such as "Knocked Up," "Superbad," "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and "Pineapple Express." Rogan is the twenty-something slacker of a nerd that so many twenty and thirtysomethings can relate to. He is the everyman who is overweight who typically portrays characters that would rather get drunk or stoned than care much about politics or religion. He has become the voice of the common person who spent much of the past two decades listening to Pearl Jam and worshipping the ground of Kate Beckinsale through countless "Underworld" films. Rogan is a rising star against the slowly fading star and his position in life nearly matches that of his character Ira Wiener, although Rogan has already found fame, but struggled for some time. He and Apatow have found success together for good reason.

Adam Sandler is a star where I have either hated or loved his films. "The Wedding Singer" and "The Waterboy" are films I can watch countless times, but I´ve always felt that "Happy Gilmore" and "Billy Madison" are overhyped and tiresome after one or two viewings. He is typically associated with the same style of performance as a loud-mouthed man-child, but with great dramatic turns in films such as "Punch-Drunk Love" and "Reign Over Me," Sandler shows there is more than just humorous tantrums to the bankable star. In recent years he succeeded with "Click," but "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" and "You Don´t Mess With the Zohan" were more of the same that left me disinterested with silly roles where he didn´t show any range or much of a reason to enjoy the film. Teaming up with hot director Judd Apatow could be the kick the former Saturday Night Live funny-man needed to get his A-List star shiny again and he is very good in "Funny People" as his character George Simmons could be based on Sandler himself.

"Funny People" has George being diagnosed with a rare blood condition that is typically fatal and he is told that a glimmer of hope exists in experimental medicines, but not to get his hopes too high. He has been a top comedic star and decides to return to stand up and just go out laughing and not make a stink over his ailment. He meets Ira, who sleeps on his successful sitcom star friend Mark Taylor Jackson´s (Jason Schwartzman) couch and rooms with rising improv club comedian Leo Koenig (Jonah Hill). While Mark succeeds with "Yo´ Teach!" and Leo is making everybody laugh, Ira feels inadequate compared to his friends and struggles to ask out the pretty stand-up comedian that has moved in next door, Daisy Dansby (Aubrey Plaza). During one night at the comedy club, George and Ira cross paths and after Ira makes jokes at George´s expense, they have a parking lot encounter.

George tells Ira that he found him funny and hires the struggling comedian to become a paid writer for him. Ira, who lacks any solid income, agrees to work for George and finds he spends his time between being George´s traveling sidekick, writer and someone to talk George to sleep. They slowly become friends and Ira is the only person who George tells about the leukemia. George tries to keep Ira distant and pretends they are not friends, but have a professional relationship and this becomes strained when George reconnects with a former flame who is now married. Laura (Leslie Mann) apparently has a restraining order against George, but is saddened to hear he is dying and they profess their love and share some passion before her Australian hunk of a husband Clarke (Eric Bana) comes home early from business. Laura has to choose between George and Clarke and this stirs up a lot of problems for everybody involved.

As the story moves along, "Funny People" twists reality with fiction as many Hollywood faces and entertainers pop in for some great cameos. The moment where James Taylor performs for MySpace and slams FaceBook and Rogan asks him a few questions was funny. George and Eminem having dinner while Ray Romano and Rogan take cell phone pictures of the angry rapper was another high moment as Eminem tells George that beating the sickness was a bad idea as he won´t be able to dodge celebrity anymore. Paul Reiser, who has disappeared since "Mad About You" telling George he never leaves the house anymore was another fun moment. With Rogan and Sandler portraying characters not far from reality, this blending with actual stars made for a more convincing and honest feeling picture.

Sandler, Rogan and director Judd Apatow are the stars of this film and the three´s touch is readily apparent from the very beginning of the film until the end. Sandler suffers a meltdown or two that allows George to feel very similar to Sandler. He is a comedian that enjoys singing and performing; mirroring Sandler in real life. Rogan plays a character that is assumingly how he would be as if he were still starting out and Adam Sandler hired him to write jokes. The former "Freaks and Geeks" star is rising and struggles to avoid potty jokes, but has potential. It is just now that Rogan is starting to take more dramatic turns and get away from the potty-mouthed sex-heavy humor. Apatow has been on a hot streak since "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and that streak may not be as hot, but it is more stable now.

The supporting cast is very good as well. Apatow´s real-life wife Leslie Mann is the love interest in the film and plays a star that once battled it out with Cameron Diaz for a role in the film "The Mask" and she plays the role of somebody who once lived a full life, but has settled into domestication for stability and the stability she has found is played nicely by the talented Eric Bana who first impressed me with "Chopper" and has never become a top A-Lister as I´ve long predicted. Torsten Voges stands out as the heavily-accented Dr. Lars and while he is the butt of George´s jokes in the film, Voges gives a bit role that won´t be easily forgotten. Hill and Schwartzman are good for the capacity they share in the film as friends of Rogan.

This is not the funniest film you will see in 2009, but the title is misleading as "Funny People" is about two funny people trying to face adversity and survive in a world where death is a dark reality and everybody eventually tells their last joke. The comedy has touches of Apatow´s explicit comedy that was such a part of "Superbad" and "Knocked Up." However, the jokes seem to be written to be purposely bad so that the dramatic aspect of "Funny People" is not missed. Yes, I am staying that Apatow and his actors have purposely made the jokes miss their mark so that the touching story of two people finding a loving friendship in the face of death is not lost. This movie could have been funnier, but it would have been lesser of a film if the stand-up of George and Ira left me pissing myself in laughter.

"Funny People" is the story of a man who can only lead and find a better life after nearly succumbing to a slow and painful death. He is somebody that has walked over most people while he led the good life, but he discovers there is more to living than laughter and money. Judd Apatow has written a serious and telling story about this man and having Adam Sandler in a role that seems written for him and Seth Rogan in a similarly casted role lets creates a threesome where viewers are rewarded if they can see the story begin told and understand the purpose that Apatow set out to capture on camera. I can recall a few people slamming "Funny People" because it wasn´t overly funny. Those people sadly missed the point. "Funny People" is about people and the funny situation we like to call "life."

Video:

Average isn´t always a bad thing and in the case of the video transfer for "Funny People," the high definition Blu-ray transfer is an average example of how today´s films look on the format. It lacks the visual power of pricier blockbusters and while the film doesn´t have a three dimensional allure it is clean, stable and detailed. Comedies and dramas that take place in the modern "realistic" world tend not to contain visuals that stand out and "Funny People" is grounded in modern locations such as airports, comedy clubs and doctors´ offices. It isn´t flashy, but details are good as Sandler´s mid-forties age is apparent through the age marks on his face. The best looking scene in the film is perhaps the MySpace concert with James Taylor as it is colorful and ´busy´ when compared to the rest of the film. Colors are realistic and exhibit proper skin tones. Black levels during the comedy club scenes are good. Overall, this 1.85:1 film is clean and is a perfect example of how the average recent comedy looks at 1080p.

Audio:

This Universal Home Video release is delivered with their rubber-stamp DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. The sound quality of the disc can be called average as well and this is a compliment as "Funny People" sounds just as good as the average solid transfer on the format. James Taylor sounds amazing and the couple brief tunes sung by Adam Sandler are clean as well and licensed selections come across nicely. As is the case with the vast majority of comedies out there, "Funny People" is about the dialogue. There is a little ambience to the busy nightclubs, but for the remainder of the film, "Funny People" is a talky picture where crystal clear dialogue dominates the running length. All six channels are used with precise and clean movement, but what really matters in this film happens across the front soundstage. Other sound options include Spanish and French DTS 5.1 Surround and English DVS 2.0.