Funny People

Judd Apatow, 15 (2009)

A boorish megastar stand-up (Adam Sandler) faces up to the diagnosis of a terminal disease. He enlists the help of a young would-be comic (Seth Rogen) to brighten up his act, allowing Apatow (Sandler’s former room mate) to pepper the looking-death-in-the-face storyline with some entertaining goofing from Rogen and his room-mates (Jonah Hill as an ultra-competitive comic on the make and Jason Schwartzman as a ladies man sitcom star). But there’s a sub-plot too far in Sandler’s attempts to rekindle a failed relationship — with too much thrown into the mix the film isn’t either funny or sad enough. And it cops out a couple of reels before the end, suggesting that Apatow isn’t quite ready to give up fruity, knockabout humour just yet. Credit to him, though, for drawing out likeable performances and managing to include a heart-wrenching Warren Zevon song in the film’s choke-’em-up moment.