Apatow matures, but it comes with a price

"Funny People"
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman
Grade: B

Judd Apatow's third feature film is unquestionably his most mature film to date, and also his longest. Funny People is in fact funny; with good acting, and a sincere story, the film sails along for the first 90 minutes as a solid comedy/drama. Once it hits the last hour, the wheels on this train fall apart.

One thing that saves the film is Adam Sandler, who delivers his best role since Punch Drunk Love back in 2003. Sandler plays George Simmons, a successful comedian/actor who lives all alone in a mansion. At the beginning of the film, Simmons learns that he has a terminal illness. He doesn't have any close friends, until he takes Ira Wright, played by Rogen, under his wing as his opening act and close friend. This relationship builds the first 90 minutes into something special. Sandler and Rogen's chemistry quickly win over the audience as we watch them do stand-up and such. Ira lives with two other guys played by Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman, both of whom have roles roles in an NBC sitcom called "Yo Teach," hopefully you get the idea.

Ira is the only one that Simmons confides in. George is lonely, doesn't see his family much, and has regrets about the one that got away, Laura, played by Apatow's real life wife Leslie Mann. We get glimpses of her character early on, but the film loses it's steam once Simmons tries to win her back.

Back to the performances, Sandler shows range and subtlety in a nice performance for those who doubt his ability. Rogen is good, even if he plays different types of the same character over again, hes likable once again. I prefer Leslie Mann's work in Knocked Up over this, miscast maybe? Eric Bana plays Clarke, Mann's Australian husband. In what could have been a throwaway role, Bana actually isn't bad. I won't ruin the cameos, or mention how many times dicks and penis's are talked about.

Most of Funny People is pretty funny, the film shot by Janusz Kaminski has a clean and glossy look, the film being shot in LA also doesn't hurt. Apatow's self-indulgence aside, this film could have been something really great and personal until the script takes a 180 with an hour to go. The film runs at a tiring 150 minutes, with much editing to be desired. I say it all the time, but there's a real good film hidden in here somewhere. It's hard to say if the good outweighed the bad, but I enjoyed all the performances, especially the chemistry between Sandler and Rogen.