Punching the Clown
October. 22,2010A satirical songwriter comes to Los Angeles and puts his life's work in jeopardy.
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One of my all time favorites.
It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
This is a comedic masterpiece, in the sense that I was coughing up phlegm throughout the film. The Village Voice called this the "funniest movie ever made about trying to hold on to one's artistic integrity in an image-obsessed world." That's one way to put it, but the writer should have added "...oh, and I was laughing so hard I crapped my pants".Henry Phillips is a great guitar picker and writes and sings like Roy Zimmerman, Bob Dylan, and Redd Foxx all rolled into one. OK, Loudon Wainwright too. The film depicts his plod through making a living as a...satiric folk singer-songwriter? That's exactly what he is, but the term has too many syllables for promoters and record company execs. Awkward encounters abound, some briefly tense, most hysterically funny. Ten stars.
I decided to give this film a whirl since it is streaming now on Netflix and it was the funnest time I have had watching a film in a while. We were laughing through so much of this movie. It is a very clever movie and so much of it rings true (if you are living in Los Angeles at least) This film does not really have a dull moment in it, and I enjoyed the pace as the movie moves along pretty quickly. I really became a fan of Henrys during this film as his comedy routines/songs in the movie were hilarious.There is a scene involving a Bagel misunderstanding that just killed me and it was the most clever scene i have seen in a long while. I really appreciated this movie and will watch it again definitely. I recommend watching this film to any and all fans of the comedy genre and then go tell a friend to do the same.
I expected to like this, but my wife and I loved it. There are laughs from the opening scene all the way through the credits. There are also a lot of weird but believable characters and situations throughout the movie that I imagine accurately reflect the life of a struggling musician, comedian, or artist. We also met Mr. Phillips after the movie was shown and he is as laid back and funny off the cuff as he is in the movie. He handled some really oddball questions from the audience very smoothly and had us laughing as much then as during the movie. Seems like a nice guy. It appears that a creative bunch of friends made this movie, which may be why it seemed so unique and refreshing - it was not a typical Hollywood movie because you didn't see the humor or strange situations coming from a mile away. I can see why it won several awards. Highly recommended because it really adds up to a lot more than we expected going in.
This is my first review on IMDb: I just want to spread the word about this small treasure.I saved it to my Netflix queue months ago after missing the theatrical release and hearing that Sarah Silverman loved it, and then I forgot all about it. It was finally released a couple of weeks ago.What a treat. Watched it with my over-intellectual wife and our dumb 14 year old son. (I'm a dumb 54 year old who likes his beer cold and his beef and humor very rare). We all loved it. Thought it was a Sundance winner at first, but I realize now it's a SLAMDANCE winner... (Note to independent film people: you have to come up with better festival names, it's confusing.) but who cares, whatever: It's a great film. The story is very quirky and written with a sharp eye. The main characters and many of the supporting parts are vivid, hilarious and multi-dimensional. The songs are almost all original and cough-up-your-popcorn hysterical. The dialog is better than anything Woody Allen wrote in 25 years, or Judd Apatow... ever. And if that wasn't enough, the movie is heartfelt and very human. The main character, Henry, plays a fictional version of himself and really draws you in. He's the funniest soft-spoken guy in the movies, take my word for it. The director co-wrote it and apparently had total control over every detail, casting, editing etc... real talent. What else? Entertaining DVD bonuses. Deleted scenes. Running commentary with the director, the main actor and the actress who plays the manager. Ellen Ratner. Never heard of her, but apparently she was in Seinfeld. Anyway, she's wonderful. It's a no-name cast, but it's a solid, solid comedy. Hope to see more from these guys.