I'm a big fan of Judd Apatow's comedy -Knocked Up & The 40 Year Old Virgin- mostly because there's always a feeling that it's not just comedy but also human emotions at play. Although Steve Carrell was a loony joke as the 'virgin' he had a carefully written role that demanded more than just jokes and in Knocked Up, Kathryn Heigel asked- No, make that demanded- Seth Rogen to lose his schlub lifestyle for a more serious life as a parent. Funny People is the weakest movie of Apatow's short career, it's also his most personal, ambitious and heartfelt one. It is by no means a total failure, there are scenes of great comedy and effortless abandon. What makes it a disappointment is the fact that you were allowed to expect more from a writer/director who's style everyone is trying to copy these days. The film is too long and should have been much shorter, it also doesn't have much of a flow and -contrary to his past 2 movies- it doesn't mix the drama and comedy as well. Sandler plays -well- Sandler and Rogen plays the same role he always plays- The schlub (God, I love that word). Some comparisons have been made to describe the film as Woody Allen-esque but I wouldn't go that far- Because this is Apatow's most 'Auteuristic' and personal film (loosely based on his days as Sandler's roomate during their comedy club days) I'd actually venture towards a more Truffault-esque play of words and say it reminded me of the French Auteur's later venture into Dramedy.