Comedian

Rating:
Summary: WHAT MAKES JERRY RUN?
Review: Jerry Seinfeld has it made, or so it seems. He's obscenely rich, famous and beloved. So what's missing? In COMEDIAN we see a guy who goes back on the road to try out new material to see if he can once again reach that personal nirvana, that ultimate high, of enthralling an audience of strangers with laughter-inducing new observations.

This documentary screams a central question: What drives Seinfeld? Is it the personal challenge to see if he can do it again? Is it an overwhelming craving to feel the waves of laughter from strangers that he interprets as love? Or is it an attempt to discover if his rise to celebrity was a fluke. The answer is hard to pindown in this utterly absorbing documentary -- shot mostly with a hand-held consumer videocam -- that follows Seinfeld and unknown comic Orny Adams as they travel around the country to mostly small clubs to test their material. This is not a feature length concert performance, but an upclose, sometimes painful, look at the labored process of appearing spontaneously funny for a few precious minutes.

Extras include hilarious Jiminy Glick interviews with Seinfeld and Adams, the full Seinfeld routine on his return to the David Letterman show, and an acerbic commentary with Seinfeld and fellow comic Colin Quinn. For a feature length Seinfeld stand up performance, try the very funny I'M TELLING YOU FOR THE LAST TIME (HBO).

Rating:
Summary: Very honest, very generous
Review: I was warned away from this DVD by the teenager at the video store who said "it wasn't funny". Well.

Making stuff is hard. Making good stuff is really hard. I'm in the arts (though not the performing arts) and I'm always wondering what other artist's are thinking as they work through ideas. Is is uncertain and complicated for them, too? It's heartening to hear a contemporary master say "yes". And it's inspiring to see Seinfeld take the risk of retiring ALL his previous material and start from scratch (and then, for pete's sake, filming what happens). All artist's should probably burn their portfolios at mid-career and start fresh but how many have the breathtaking nerve to really do it?

This isn't a DVD of Seinfeld performing. We hear only snippets of performances since this is a study of the backstage efforts and there are many honest moments of doubt, nervousness and excitement. And yeah, humor. The scene, early on, where he's standing on stage and completely draws a blank about what to say next, consults his notes, paces, but simply can't get his thoughts together is funny and humbling and worth more than any motivational text about braving anxiety.

Oh, about Orny. I don't think whether the viewer finds him likable or not is really the issue. Orny's arrogance and striving is an excellent counterpoint to Seinfeld's more grounded, low-key manner and gave the documentary some nice contrast. Like him or not, he seemed authentic. Who hasn't known a guy like Orny?

Rating:
Summary: NOT what I expected
Review: If you want stand up.... THIS IS NOT THE DVD FOR YOU. See Jerry's other DVD "One Last Time"... hilarious! If you want to learn HOW to become a comedian... this DVD is for you. What made me upset what that as I was watching they were interviewing this other comedian Orny Adams... okay... I thought this was about Jerry Seinfeld. Whatever. Don't expect this DVD to ENTERTAIN. I couldn't even finish watching, quite boring, unless of course you are trying to become a stand up comedian. Thank goodness I only rented it. I would have been quite upset if I had actually spent MONEY on this!!

Rating:
Summary: The Art of Comedy
Review: This was an insightful and entertaining look at to paths to stardom, one works (Seinfeld), one doesn't (Adams). Orny Adams is not able to surrender himself completely to THE ART of comedy and thus is in danger of never attaining the ultimate prize, world wide recognition. However, Jerry remembers where he came from and who got him there, which is why he is a true master or in the words of Bill Cosby "The Willie Mays, Ali, or Bill Russell of his profession." This piece emphasizes the fact that this is not some impromptu career that these men have decided to pursue. It is a craft and forces guys like Seinfeld and Chris Rock to carefully plan their 'bits'. Kudos to Jerry for noticing that he is fortunate to be in the position he is in.

Rating:
Summary: A good lesson in life
Review: COMEDIAN is not a comedy. If you are looking for Jerry doing his standup act then get I'M TELLING YOU FOR THE LAST TIME, available on CD, VHS, and DVD. If you want a behind-the-scenes documentary about the creative process of being a comedian then you will enjoy COMEDIAN. (The DVD has great extras, including deleted scenes of Jerry shopping for cars, taking a cross country trip with a friend, and his spot on David Letterman.)

What I loved most about COMEDIAN was insight into the bond the comedians share, as well as the bond that Jerry shares with his agent George Shapiro. Perhaps the most moving scene comes during a meeting between Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld; Jerry tells Bill Cosby that knowing him is one of the greatest highlights of his career. The two then hug. It's almost a surreal moment to see the two titans of comedy television together in this context, and it's really interesting to see how much Jerry respects Mr. Cosby. Jerry credits Cosby with inspiring him to enter the field.

The downside of COMEDIAN is, as so many others have noted, Orny Adams. He didn't irritate me the first time I watched COMEDIAN. The second time I watched COMEDIAN, Orny still didn't irritate me. Rather, I felt sorry for him. Orny seems to have a the-world-owes-me-a-living attitude. It's amazing to juxtapose the two, Jerry and Orny, and see that in comparison it is Jerry who is far more humble. One is a complete unknown, the other the biggest comedian of his generation. The viewer soon realizes why this is the case: Jerry loves what he does; Orny seems to resent everything. There are times when Orny even curses the audience after a show, blaming them for the failure of his set. Jerry, on the other hand, goes on record as saying that if a set fails it is only Jerry who is to blame. This is why I say COMEDIAN is a good lesson in life. It teaches that it's all about attitude. As George Shapiro says to Orny, "I think you will make it. But I think you'll still be unhappy."

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Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie about the creative process
Review: If you're looking for a funny movie, this isn't it. This is a film about all the hard work that goes into succeeding in the entertainment industry. It's about the unglamorous part of making people laugh - i.e. hours of stuggle, anguish, failure, self-doubt, just to get that one laugh.

I am a writer/director, and although I don't work in the exact same capacity as Seinfeld, this movie really impressed me and gave me a whole new perspective on who Jerry Seinfeld is. I see that he really understands and respects the creative process. Unlike the rest of the cast of the Seinfeld tv show, Jerry "went back to his roots" to remake himself, and basically start his career over again instead of trying to ride the wave of his hit tv show. Ultimately, what you get in this documentary is a glimpse into the world of the "sad clown". Being a comedian, or any sort of entertainer for that matter, is hard work. It's a risky and often lonely process, which is what this film is all about.

So if you want Jerry Seinfeld to make you laugh, go watch Seinfeld re-runs. This is not the movie for you.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible
Review: "Comedian" has nothing to do with comedy. It's one of the most boring movies I have ever seen. Orny Adams was an ego maniac who really didn't deserve any kind of recognition. Jerry Seinfeld was hardly in the movie and Bill Cosby made a cameo. Chris Rock was seen and so was Colin Quinn. Why guys? You should've stuck around to make this movie funny. But, I can see why you left in a hurry.

Rating:
Summary: Wow, the difference between success and failure!
Review: I think what makes this film especially interesting (even if unintentional), is the stark contrast between Jerry Seinfeld, a huge success, and Orny Adams, one who is destined to fail in this business. Seinfeld demonstrates, with true class, the hard work even a seasoned professional must endure to remain relevant in this craft. Adams, on the other hand, demonstrates the approach not to take. I can't imagine that he is happy with this film. I'm sure he saw this as his "big" opportunity to break out (which it certainly could have been). However, as others have noted, he repeatedly demonstrates a Narcissistic Personality Disorder that will ultimately impede his ability to make it as a comedian. In scene after scene Adams acts like a spoiled, entitled baby who recoils in anger any time he is given any constructive criticism (by professionals no less!). He comes across as a very angry person. When asked, for example, to change one word in his standup routine, he rants and perseverates about it as if he was asked to murder his mother. Ultimately this film can be viewed as a contrast between a class act and one that is destined to fail. Have you heard any news of Adams since this film came out? Me neither.

Rating:
Summary: If you know what to expect, you won't be disappointed!
Review: The people who are giving this movie 1 or 2 stars are obviously people who are just looking for Jerry's standup routine on video, and they are sorely disappointed. These seem to be the same people who mistakenly think Orny Adams (the up-and-coming comic featured as prominently as Jerry) is an egomaniac and 'full of himself.' In reality, he is about as insecure and tortured with self-doubt as a person can get. He is a very interesting character and I don't agree with the 'thumbs up, Jerry, thumbs down Orny' opinion. This is a fascinating documentary, and Orny's travails give you real insight into the world of stand-up comedians. Since it was produced by Jerry, he probably 'sanitized' the footage of himself. Orny, on the other hand, is shown in raw and sometimes painful 3D. I highly recommend this film for anyone who wants to learn more about what goes on 'behind the scenes' at comedy clubs and the sometimes tortured life of a comedian.

Rating:
Summary: A great documentary (for those of you who get the point)
Review: 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.