Thoughts on 'Funny People'

Funny People
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann


Current 'King of Comedy' Judd Apatow successfully captures the deeper, darker side of the comedy world while still incorporating his usual dose of raunchy sex jokes, hilarious one-liners, and excellent supporting players (Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Bana, etc.). Despite a some-what weak and unorganized last portion of the film, Funny People works as both a comedy and a drama thanks to the effortless humor and emotional depth displayed by the film's two stars, Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler. The film effectively demonstrates a level of growth and maturity from both Sandler and Rogen, but also showcases Apatow's versatility as both a writer and director. Although this film is not quite as good as the two previous films written and directed by Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up), it is certainly in the same ballpark. If you are a fan of any of the previous films by Judd Apatow, you are certain to enjoy Funny People, and I highly recommend that you check it out.

Comparison by numbers
This past weekend, Funny People debuted as number one in the box office. Here is how the film's opening weekend numbers compare to Apatow's previous two films:

The 40-Year-Old Virgin: $21,422,815
Knocked Up: $30,690,990
Funny People: $22,657,780

Source: Box Office Mojo

Music Monday #7

Last night I saw the new movie, Funny People in theaters and I really enjoyed some of the music featured in the film. So I decided to share a couple of the songs from the movie with you guys for ' Music Monday.'

This first song is actually performed by the star of the movie, Adam Sandler. It's a cover of the song "Real Love" that was written by John Lennon in 1979/1980 but unreleased until 1988 when used on the soundtrack for the documentary, Imagine: John Lennon. The song was then reworked by the three remaining members of The Beatles (Paul, George, and Ringo) and released as a Beatles single in 1996. Adam Sandler actually does a fantastic rendition of the song that effectively captures the mood of the film. Check out Adam Sandler's version below (ignore the intro):



Surprisingly, Adam Sandler wasn't the only actor of Funny People that got to show off his musical talents. Cast member Jason Schwartzman's solo music project Coconut Records also contributes two songs to the soundtrack of the film. Check out the song, "Wires" below: