apatowtheosis

though judd apatow's latest offering doesn't have the slapstick kitsch of The 40 Year Old Virgin, or the gen x ribaldry of Knocked Up, Funny People is the most incisive, naturalistic comedy of the past decade. a stellar cast headlined by a metered, transcendent performance by adam sandler who is mercurial and human.

those who felt it was too long aren't entirely wrong, but the running time-just over 2 hours- isn't excessive so much as the story is delivered in an unconventional way that drags at certain points. but this contributes to the film's raw realism. adam sandler makes you forget who he is. jonah hill delivers with his usual scene stealing antics. and just when you think they're done, the cast gets deeper and deeper. there is at least one WTF type cameo that will have you smiling to yourself for a minute. every character is painfully, woefully human. they oscillate between love, hate, egotism, and winsome sentimentality.