Probably the most aggravating thing about the marketing campaign for “Funny People” is the declaration that it’s “the third film from Judd Apatow.” I know that this is his third time as the actual director, but when your name has become synonymous with a certain style of filmmaking, this really doesn’t make sense.
With this “third film” nonsense, “Funny People” has a lot to live up to. I enjoyed both “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up.” However, “Funny People” is another type of film entirely. It’s not a raunchy comedy. It’s not a film of over-the-top hilarity. In fact, it’s really not a comedy at all, but rather a drama with a lot of funny lines in it.
“Funny People” stars Adam Sandler as a version of himself, a comedian named George Simmons who has had wild Hollywood success but is utterly alone. He has alienated his family and the only woman he has ever loved. When he learns he has a rare form of leukemia, he takes a young comedian named Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) under his wing as his assistant, and reluctantly becomes his friend.
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