Comedian
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Movie Reviews of Comedian
Movie Review: And I never really liked "Seinfeld"
Summary: 5 Stars
Not a fan of Jerry Seinfeld? Don't worry, neither am I. "Comedian" has as its primary focus, the comedian Jerry Seinfeld. This is several years after the end of the "Seinfeld" sitcom and Jerry is getting back on the road as a standup comic trying out new material and working on his new act. As we know, Jerry Seinfeld is a fantastically successful man and if he wanted (or didn't want), he would never have to work another day in his life. So why do standup? Sure, this is his origins and where he came from, but it can be a tough life having to sell himself and his jokes every single performance with no chance of a redo. So, why? Jerry never directly answers this question during the movie except that he loves his work, but my answer is that creative men need to continue to work, to find an outlet for this creativity and this drive to keep performing. But that's just my guess.
Jay Leno says midway through the film, to Jerry, that he couldn't do what Jerry is doing. What Leno is referring to is this film, "Comedian". Jerry is giving away his act. Not on stage, but to us, the viewer. Jerry is letting us see his frustrations, his struggles, and even some of his jokes as a work in progress rather than letting audiences discover the jokes for the first time. That is exactly what "Comedian" is. Jerry Seinfeld a struggling comic. He has a name that will get him through any door and on any stage, but it has been years since he has worked and he is trying to put together new jokes and a new routine. This is untested stuff and he is unsure if it is truly funny or if it will connect with an audience or if it will connect with many audiences. He is trying to find his rhythm.
What adds to this film being so interesting is that other major comics appear in some scenes talking to Jerry. Chris Rock meets Jerry and Jerry tells Chris about his insecurity and Chris replies by telling Jerry about seeing a comic that they hadn't heard of before do a two and a half hour set, no intermission, telling joke after joke after story after joke and everything works. Chris says he felt like a fraud after seeing that comic. And this is Chris Rock! And this is Jerry Seinfeld who is having the same struggles.
The other side of the coin is Orny Adams, a young (early 30's) comic who is trying to make it. He is very much full of himself and feels that he is better than everybody and better than the audience and when a crowd only politely chuckles he blames the audience as a bad audience and not that he may not have been good that day...because Orny is a professional and knows what he is doing. We see Orny begin to work with the guy who helped make Jerry Seinfeld a success. But his attitude just kills. He may be talented, but he needs an attitude check.
This makes me wonder if this is what a Jerry Seinfeld or a Chris Rock or others were like on the way up the comic ladder. That it is only when you reach the level of success and then try to keep being funny with new material that you find you are unsure of your skill. And for this, "Comedian" gives a very insightful look into the backstage life of comics trying to hone their craft, even at a stage in their career where most people think they have it honed.
I wasn't a fan of the tv show "Seinfeld" and I'm not sure I would love Jerry Seinfeld's comedy, and I know I already don't like Orny Adams, but I thought that "Comedian" is an excellent documentary look into their lives as comedians.
-Joe Sherry
Movie Review: JERRY SEINFELD AND ORNY ADAMS INVITE US INTO THEIR WORLD
Summary: 5 Stars
Attention Viewers: If you've been longing for a Big Screen version of that hilarious show we all loved and enjoyed, you might be a bit disappointed. If you want your comedian to be happy 24 hours a day with a Hollywood smile on his/her face, then they are showing re-runs of SEINFELD in the evenings throughout the week- please check your local listings.But if you desire a rare glimpse into this fine art that we so effortlessly define as Comedy, then you and I are in for a treat that, honestly, most of us do not even deserve. Be warned if you need to be; this is NOT a movie. This is a documentary. It is not a sequel to ANYTHING that you have ever seen on primetime. It is something much more exceptional. To view this unique documentary and only derive from it that it is nothing more than a boring film full of much dialect and little comedy, then we obviously assume that magic is as easy as snapping a finger and pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Anyone can do it. Si?
No por favor.
Those with a keen eye and ability to think will see, through this film, the uncommon strength and perseverance that it takes to step bravely into this comedic world. What it is truly like to hone your skills night after night, year after year, facing every genre of unpredictable crowd that you are thrown in front of, without any trace of the income that you or I would ever subject ourselves to. You might ask yourselves why? Your answer is in this film.
Love, determination and, once in a silver moon, that chance to be recognized and appreciated for the person that you truly are. Do you get the feeling that this somewhat sacrificed livelihood might sometimes leave you a little "stressed"? Well, you'll find that answer too, from a gifted rising comedian by the name of Orny Adams. (What was that name again; my spell check just went haywire?)
Ignore your spell check. In COMEDIAN, this guy might piss you off. He might shake your "Egotistical Danger" warning sirens right off of their rusting hinges. But what you must do is step back and remember one thing. You have stepped into HIS room, where life and experience is not always happy; all is not pretty and in dress rehearsal for three and a half hours. But it IS real. It is honest. And you are his guest, so please act accordingly. Sit back and recall that every single one of us, though some not admittedly, have wanted to strangle our clients at one time or another. The customers that we work so hard for day after day (or night after night.)
You should experience, through this rare film, the unprecedented work that it takes to help your miserable, tired selves escape from your humdrum lives for one single celebrated night, ...and laugh.
How do we take our pain away? Simply Laugh.
-Geoffrey Williams
Movie Review: Shows being a Comedian is hard work
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the hardest things in this world is to make people laugh and when you do its very rewarding. Making your own friends laugh is one thing, because they get your humour, but making many people laugh and keep them laughing and interested in what you have to say is a very hard thing to do. You have to keep going and going. Comedian isn't all just about being funny, honestly its not that funny of a film(does have its moments), but it is very interesting once you've gotten deeper into the movie and know more of where its going with its point. Being a comedian has to be one of the hardest things to ever do, because you have to make people laugh or they wont like you and just forget you. Jerry Seinfeld is funny and very memorable due to mainly his show "Seinfeld". Very successful show that blew away people and really touched their funny bones. Even the big stars like Seinfeld get nervous before shows and know you have to know what you're doing, otherwise people will get bored. Comedy is hard, like it would be easier to do drama and make people cry then it is to make them laugh, comedy gets old too. You have to keep coming up with new and better material. So many people try to be funny and so many fail and are quickly forgotten. Comedian also portrays Orny Adams, a comedian in the film trying to make it big and make people laugh, I don't really find him that funny, it is very interesting what him and Jerry go through in the process of a successsful comedian. Sometimes it just doesn't work out the way they want. It's a lot of pressure to do a comedy act, this film shows how intense things can get in the comedy world. Yet, one of the best parts of the film is when Chris Rock and Seinfeld are chatting about Bill Cosby and how he was able to go a whole 2 and a half hour show and not take a break and people were not bored at all and kept laughing. Many have tried to be completely calm during a comedic performance and make people laugh the entire way through, but few have done it right and become legends of comedy with their own style and continue to have people love them for being funny. Jerry Seinfeld became very successful with comedy mainly due to "Seinfeld" (a brilliant show), but "Comedian", although not the funniest thing on earth by any means, it is very much worth a look, because it is interesting once you get what its about. It shows being a Comedian is hard work.
Behind the scenes look at being a comedian.
The trailers are amusing!
Movie Review: Watch the Creative Process at Work
Summary: 5 Stars
Upon completion of his wildly successful TV show, Seinfeld took some time off to "do nothing," as he said in his Letterman stand-up appearance. He also decided to challenge himself by scrapping all the stand-up material he had used all these years and reinvent himself. In this wonderful documentary, we watch as Seinfeld develops new material in the clubs on New York City, as well as a couple of surprise appearances at clubs around the country. The documentary culminates with Seinfeld's first headlining appearance on a large stage. In between, we watch the artist work on material, chat it up with fellow comics such as Colin Quinn and Chris Rock, and generally deal with the angst and doubt that is inevitable as the artist creates. With surprising honesty, we watch Jerry bomb on stage as he forgets his train of thought, deal with hecklers, and shape his material into verbal sculpture. It is a joy to watch this professional working without a net and taking chances to create new material.On the other side of the coin, young comic Orny Adams is shown developing his own material and looking for his "big break." Other reviewers have complained about his narcissism, but I suggest that this is precisely what pushes someone to step up on a stage and tell jokes for a living. Adams may be full of himself, but what successful entertainer isn't an egotist? I found Adams' observations about the business of comedy to be astute, honest, and funny.
Visually, there are a lot of beautiful touches in this movie - from a terrific edit sequence as Seinfeld prepares to go on stage at the DC Improv, to the stunning last shot from the stage of Oakland's Paramount Theater. The filmmakers should be very proud of their efforts.
Another note: the extra features are generally very good here, but you cannot miss the audio commentary by Seinfeld and fellow comic Colin Quinn. It is hilarious!
Bottom line: THIS IS NOT A STAND-UP VIDEO and the audience is better off as a result. Instead, this terrific documentary gives us wonderful insight into the life of the stand-up comic and the creative process.
Movie Review: A great documentary (for those of you who get the point)
Summary: 5 Stars
This documentary was an excellent look at the trials and tribulations that standup comedians go through.Basically the movie is intercut between Jerry Seinfeld writing and testing out new material at a bunch of different comedy clubs(as most of you probably know, he "retired" all of his old material when he did that HBO special) as well as a up and coming young comedian, Orny Adams, who signs on with George Shapiro (a famous standup manager).
Without giving away too much of the movie most of it is about Jerry Seinfeld, despite most of the negative reviews this movie recieved on this site. Basically, as said before, he is testing out new material and dealing with the audience. In between clips of standup he has conversations with other prominent standup comedians about the art of standup (notably Colin Quin, Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, Ray Ramano, and that guy from those 7-Up commercials that was on the first run of The It Factor, among others).
The parts about Orny Adams is mainnly about him dealing with the audience, his new contract with George Shapiro, and the neurotic mess that is standup comedy (there is a scene where we go into Orny's apartment and he showed the camera crew his stacks of screenplays he is written, a dresser full of journals he keeps, piles of papers of old jokes he has written, and a library of videos of previous standup acts).
Essentially, this movie is not a "best of" clip show of Jerry Seinfeld's standup acts, although other reviewers would suggest otherwise. The point of the movie wasn't really supposed to make you laugh (although some of the clips they show are funny) as just to show you what someone that is basically at the top of the standup comedian success ladder (Jerry Seinfeld) does behind the scenes versus an up and coming standup comedian's (Orny Adams) experiences.