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“Why don’t you just TELL me the name of the movie you want
to see?”
A disclaimer. I am a “Seinfeld” junkie. Clearly, this review
will be riddled with shameless quotes from what I feel is
one of the best sitcoms ever (along with “The Cosby Show”
and “I Love Lucy”). Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Filmed with a digital camera over the course of 18 months,
from 1999 to 2001, this innovative documentary follows Jerry
Seinfeld as he takes to the road, testing new material
on marriage, the end of his stellar TV show, fatherhood, and
more. It’s not a concert film; most of the footage is taken
behind the scenes, tracing the fascinating creative process,
and—unlike his top-rated series—painting Seinfeld as a man
with real feelings, doubts, insecurities, and joys. Get out!
Comedian is the funniest damn documentary since Hands
on a Hardbody. And you get a backstage view of not only
Jerry, but also Colin Quinn, Kevin Nealon, Jay Leno,
and Chris Rock, to name a few. The film also traces
the rise of a young Jewish stand-up comedian named Orny
Adams. Yeah, that’s right. Orny is an ornery guy—never
satisfied with his successes or his failures. He is funny
though and his story is nearly as captivating as Jerry’s.
A festivus for the rest of us! Both comedians’ appearances
on “The Late Show with David Letterman” are chronicled from
their points of view, complete with pre-show jitters and post-set
self-criticism.
Set to a sometimes laid-back, sometimes jazzy soundtrack
coupled with comforting crowd murmurs and glass clinking of
New York City’s hippest comedy clubs, Comedian will
keep you laughing—and thinking—from start to finish. It seems
comedy is a metaphor for life, wouldn’t you know it? But the
best part is, the film doesn’t try to be something it’s not.
It plays like a manual on how to be a comedian, if you’re
into that. At the same time, it entertains and endears us
to Jerry Seinfeld, a mega-superstar who criticizes himself
for making the “rookie mistake” of opening with new material.
Rated R for language, it gives us the rare chance to hear
Bill Cosby say “shit.” See it, you won’t be disappointed.
That’s it for me. Goodnight!
—Michelle Fajkus
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