Product: Funny People
Rating: 5.0
Warning: Not for Neanderthals
Aww, poor fans of The Waterboy and Little Nicky don't think Adam Sandler's new movie is funny. Wah.This movie is not only one of the most hilarious I've seen in recent years but one of the most moving.I love Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore too, but this is not like those movies. This movie mocks those movies. This is a meaningful work of art, not a passing fancy. These are well-drawn and well-acted characters -- Sandler's best performance ever, as it is for Seth Rogen and certainly Lisa Mann. I love Apatow's sillier comedies too (although most of his films do work on an emotional level), but this is a nuanced and beautiful masterwork. Like a song by Loudon Wainwright (whom Apatow cites as a major influence in the liner notes to the Knocked Up soundtrack), it makes you laugh, cry, and back again until your heart and stomach muscles are exhausted. It is also the most realistic depiction of the world of stand-up comics you are likely to see, and very revealing for that.If you have a functioning heart and brain you will love this film, and perhaps pity those who do not.