Funny People: Press reviews

'The last third of Funny People is a further development of the question that Knocked Up asked: What does it take to be a husband? Apatow, who probably understands the obsessive loneliness of comics as well as anyone, also knows a thing or two about family life. The miracle of Funny People is that it brings these two entirely dissimilar, even antagonistic worlds into a single, resonant whole.'

'The film has some obvious problems - it sprawls, and goes on too long. But it's funny in such a thoughtful, rounded, adult way, and deflects sentimentality so confidently, that it won me over anyway.'

'It is self-indulgent and long, but also very funny with touching and inspired moments ... it is one of the most enjoyable films of the year.'

'A comedy-drama full of beauty and ugliness, profundity and profanity. Eventually loses its way but, for at least 100 minutes, it's some sort of masterpiece.'

'The drama aspect is necessary to the story, but it just drags on too long. The movie clocks in around 2 hours and 20 minutes. I can't help but think what might have been if there had been a bit more editing.'

'There is little insight here beyond showing that comics rely on jokes about sexual organs. And that, like Sandler's career, soon ceases to provide big laughs.'

'This is a generous, goodhearted, enjoyable movie, loaded with memorable characters and genuine wit. But there's such a thing as giving a little too much.'

'Mr. Sandler is effortlessly charmless, and in his performance you see the risky movie this might have been if Mr. Apatow had pushed harder.'

'Despite the lack of discipline, Apatow is trying to stretch himself, to say something about human nature'

'Sandler, he's such a dull character. Heavy-lidded inertia occasionally gives way to bursts of acid malice - there's little here that suggests a comic genius who commands legions of fans. He's sporadically entertaining, but inconsistent and somehow empty - much like the film itself.'

'In which comedy meister Judd Apatow tries to meld his trademark scatological humour to a character-based drama and ends up with a Lawrence Kasdan movie for the emotionally stunted.'