FUNNY PEOPLE (R)
Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, and Eric Bana
Released by Universal Pictures/Columbia Pictures

Is the third time the charm for Judd Apatow? Unfortunately, it isn't. Funny People isn't a bad movie, but it is a disappointing one. A shame especially when taking into consideration that there is a lot of great stuff in this film. Overall though, this is a tale of two movies. As a serious film about funny people it often works, but as a raunchy comedy with serious undertones, it never quite strikes up a comfortable balance.

In Funny People, Adam Sandler is George Simmons, a popular stand up comic with very little to look forward to in his seemingly mundane life. Sure, he's rich and famous and can have any woman he wants, but does that make him happy? Things go from awful to worse when Simmons is diagnosed with Leukemia. Rather than rushing out and telling a family member about his condition, he opts instead, to seek solace and comfort in struggling up and coming comic Ira Wright (Seth Rogen), a man he barely knows. Initially, Simmons hires a shocked Wright to help him craft new material for a routine, but inevitably, a bond develops.

Adam Sandler is outstanding here, recalling his stellar work in Punch Drunk Love. There are times in Funny People when the actor really strives to get in touch with his dark side, and some Sandler fans may be turned off by his unlikable nature in this picture. As the selfish and lonely comedy star George Simmons, Sandler creates a truly complex individual. Furthermore, there's a certain level of self deprecatory charm to this performance as well. Watch as comic turned movie star Simmons mocks his own silly film resume.

As the insecure Ira Wright, Seth Rogen never truly finds his footing. There's something all too labored about his awkwardness, and he's consistently upstaged by a more confident Sandler. The rest of the supporting cast is solid. Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman are hilariously dry as Wright's roomates. Leslie Mann (Mrs. Judd Apatow) is sexy, adorable, and charming as Simmons' ex-lover, but unfortunately, she's saddled with a rather thankless role. Had her Laura been more fleshed out, it could have been something truly special. Still, Mann nails what she has to work with. Rounding out the supporting cast, is Eric Bana. While his role as Laura's flawed husband is also somewhat underwritten, he makes the most of his screen time, and given that Bana used to be a stand up comic in his native Australia (before landing roles in more serious fare like the gripping gangster drama Chopper), it's nice to see him going back to his roots.

While this film certainly delves into the world of the stand up comic (stand up comedy enthusiasts will, no doubt, get a kick out of seeing some of their favorite performers throughout the movie), Funny People seems to be more of a story abut the price that comes with celebrity. Simmons loses sight of what's most important in his life after achieving a high level of fame, and after his diagnosis, he attempts to correct some of the mistakes he's made, but is he truly a changed man? Some might be surprised by Simmons' actions in the final act of the movie. Apatow and Sandler don't take the easy way out with this complicated character, and that's certainly one of the elements I really admired about this frustrating film.

Funny People certainly deserves props for avoiding corny cliches and an overly sentimental nature and the final exchange at a coffee shop table works well, but for whatever reason, the film seems to be lacking in a sufficient dramatic payoff. And at a whopping two hours and twenty minutes, Funny People is far too long. Don't get me wrong. This movie is more funny than Transformers was exciting, but Apatow would have been wise to shave thirty minutes off.

David Seltzer's Punchline was a much more absorbing take on the life of a stand up comic and how comedians often draw from personal tragedy in an effort to take their routine to the next level. Likewise, the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon was an offbeat but more powerful look at how illness effected one of our most eccentric comedians. Funny People, while sobering and well acted by its lead player, is strangely uneven. There's a lot of terrific stuff in there (most notably, a hilarious bit of youthful Sandler stock footage), but it never quite reaches its potential.