Comedian (2002)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

What does somebody do after ending one of the cultural icons of the 90s? If it's Jerry Seinfeld, he continues his stand up. He decides to throw out his old material and start writing new stuff. It's months of work as he slowly build up a new set. In a secondary story, Orny Adams is a struggling 29 year old stand up comic. He's confident but neurotic about his lack of success. He wonders if life is passing him by.I like going inside of Jerry's standup life behind the stage and talking to other comics. This is good as a bit of behind of scene documentary. It doesn't go too much into his personal life which is perfectly fine. I doubt it's crazy and wild. The little glimpses are normal and it's unlikely to be relevant. When Chris Rock talks about Crosby, it's electric. Of course, there's a whole new connotation.The second story with Orny is a distraction. He's a bundle of nerves and arrogance. If they want to add a second comic, I want someone at Jerry's level. I don't want to be mean but I don't really care about him. I don't wish him ill and I'm excited seeing him with some success. However, his complains annoy me a little.

I have watched this twice and it seems you have to personally want/need to entertain to appreciate it. The process of performing or a performance is both immensely nerve racking and ultimately very satisfying. Comedian will draw you in to that process as opposed to entertaining you as a viewer with stand-up comedy. The main quest is the pursuit of a lengthy comedy act. Seinfeld's personal struggle is not intensely dramatic or humorous but rather very compelling to you the performer; "how can I validate myself all over again when I don't need the money, what am I here for?" I would recommend this to anyone who wants to do stand-up or sketch comedy or theater, or any other live performance for that matter. If this is you then you will appreciate the process Seinfeld goes through because it is the journey back to his calling, what made Seinfeld matter to you and me.

This was a movie I saw in a time period when the only two movies I was likely to go and see where this one, and "Bowling for Columbine". I picked this one because I was a fan of Jerry Seinfeld's work and stand-up comedy.What a disaster! I fully knew this was a documentary and I had seen documentaries before, but this was just a disaster. How it got past studio executives must have involved some shady dealings involving bribes or something.The picture quality is abysmal, and the audio quality is so terrible you can't understand what the people are talking about unless they are on stage or in an enclosed area like a car.The "documentary" consisted of Jerry or Ray Romano or some dickweed called "Orny" telling jokes, getting their jokes cut off right before the punchline, and then talking about their crappy careers and how they've either gone down the toilet (as with Jerry and Ray) or are taking off sluggishly (as with "Orny"). There are some conversations with big names like Larry David in a café or something, but you can't understand these, as the background noise is three times louder than their conversation. At some point, Jerry or Ray Romano manage to sneak in a joke before the camera cuts them off, but for the most part, the majority of the jokes are completely cut off right before the punchline. Orny was not funny at all.Worst movie ever. This was the first movie I walked out of. Luckily for me, "Bowling for Columbine" was just starting in another theater and I snuck into that one. Best decision ever. Best documentary of 2002. I laughed, I cried, I applauded when it ended

This was a very good documentary. I have read several scathing reviews on this film, but for my wife and me, we enjoyed it. Living in a small town that does not have the luxury of a comedy club, it really impressed us to see very famous comedians still getting up on the small stage to tone, build, and master their craft. I understand that this probably doesn't happen every day in NYC and that there are months that go by without anyone famous walking into the club, but just imagine sitting there enjoying an adult beverage, and in comes Jerry wanting to explain the ludicrousness of life. To me that would be amazing. To get back to the documentary though, I realize that this is a prime example of staging in the documentary world. I know that these were not random events, but instead set up to show the "birth" of a joke. For that, I think it angered some people, for me, and only in this film, did it work. What I think was to show the hardships of being a comedian in today's society, actually transformed into giving Jerry Seinfeld this platform to show his ability, his human nature, and his hardships of building a new act. It is a rather humbling experience, as we get to see this very human person unfold before our eyes. We can feel the tension that he feels before every show, the nerves that we would think would be non-existent with a person like Jerry, is actually still alive and kicking. It is a beautiful film that perfectly captures the world of which I knew nothing about.What I was very impressed with in this documentary is that they were able to find someone that was a direct opposite of Jerry and give us a direct counter-point to the stand-up world. That person, Orny Adams, perhaps revealed too much about himself, which only hurt his ability in the long run. Whereas Jerry seemed very open to the audience, very approachable to everyone, Orny was in the game for the money, wealth, and power only. You can see this whenever someone talks during one of Orny's shows. It is always good to be proud of what you do, but never hurt the people that decide your fate. It is always the audience's response that will make or break you as a comedian, and I never felt that Orny understood this. Jerry did, and that is why his shows seemed to always be better received. Sure, he was Jerry Seinfeld, but even when he was making fun of someone, it seemed in jest, and not anger. With Orny, it was anger.I normally do not do this, but I would also like to give credit to those that designed this DVD. It was literally packed with extras that only helped build more excitement for this film. For example, you cannot help but laugh at Martin Short and his portrayal of Jiminy Glick. You also cannot help but laugh at the way that he interviews his guests. This was just another budding example of how well Jerry can take a joke, and how Orny just will never succeed in this business. Glick plays off with Jerry, continually insulting and praising at the same time. With Orny, it is nothing but insults, and I don't think Orny understands this. He has no respect for the field or the profession, and actually gives it this very dark cloud. You are a comedian for the people, not for the wealth. Whatever follows is great, but you need to always respect the people that put you there. Orny will not, that is why he is not good at what he does. But, back to the DVD, it is loaded with extras that I think are really interesting to watch. More from Letterman and the notes of a joke just seemed to fit well with everything else.Overall, I was very impressed with this film. While some will argue that it is nothing but a way to cash in on Seinfeld's status, I thought that it showed this world that is difficult, and not as easy as everyone else may think. I went into this film not knowing much about the world of comedians, but left with a whole new respect for people in the trade (except for Orny). I recommend this film to anyone that is looking for a good laugh or for anyone even considering getting into the comedian profession. This is a light-hearted look into a very difficult field that is still hard even for those that have made millions from it. I was impressed, and I think you will be as well!Grade: ***** out of *****