Aaron Carlson (undeadfeature)

The main problem with Funny People commercially was that Judd Apatow fans (i.e. the cinematically uneducated) got a lot less than they bargained for here. I haven't liked a single thing he's done in his career and this really didn't score him any points. I saw signs of a budding desire to escape comedy and move onto worthwhile films. This, what do you call it? Dramedy is half hearted and wholly assed. There's two, count 'em, two hours of film to cover and none of it has pizazz or flare. Actually, I take that back. One scene towards the end has a large ammount of comedic cameos including Sarah Silverman, Dave Attel, Ray Romano, and Marshall Mathers. It's absolutely hilarious. But that's it. A few more yucks here and there are to be had but not enough to hold it up. If the comedy were stronger Funny People would been aply named, but it couldn't be stronger because this is a Judd Apatow movie. Good intentions, bad execution.

I've always thought this was a weird movie. See, Paul Anderson didn't fool me for a second. I believe what he was going for here was a tragic comedy. Quite frankly, Daniel Day-Lewis, for how shrewd, caniving, and maniacle he is, is damn funny. The way Daniel Plainview deals with his business, his son, his faith, is all a big joke to him. Well, maybe not his business. This is a story of a dedicated man, well deserving of best actor. It could have walked away with best picture if not for No Country for Old Men quite easily. Ah, what a movie.

All I can say about this film is that it should be viewed by everyone.

What a masterpiece! There isn't enough positive words for a film like this. It's intelligent, funny, and tragic all at the same time. Clint Eastwood should tie up the entire award season with this. What is key here is the storytelling. Walt Kowalski is a fully realized character through and through, the driving force of the entire film. He brings the supporting cast to his level rather than going down himself. The cinematography is great, even when I broke away for a bit and came back I was still sucked into it. I was laughing and mourning for this movie, a rare feat for any film. I'll remember this when I say that the modern movie doesn't cut it anymore. I'm so glad to be proven wrong. With the right stuff, today's films can be ranked up there with the classics. Thanks, Clint Eastwood.