Der letzte Komödiant - Mr. Saturday Night

As previously noted in other comments, this is the story of the rise and fall of a very Jewish stand-up comic named Buddy Young Jr. (Crystal). More importantly, its the story of Young's relationship with his brother/agent.

The movie was billed as a comedy, but it's actually a heavy drama with nuggets of comedy thrown in - mainly during the flashbacks to the early days of Young's career. I agree with the other negative reviewers that the drama side of the movie is pretty lousy - almost painfully over-the-top. But the fact is that the little nuggets of comedy scattered throughout the film really are funny. Laugh out loud funny. But is it worth watching two hours of really bad drama to catch about 20 mins of good comedy? I'd have to say no.

By the end of the flick, the funniest thing about this movie is the farce of watching Crystal trying to be all serious and dramatic while wearing horribly bad make-up which makes him look more like a Star Trek alien than a senior citizen.

Billy Crystal co-wrote, produced, directed and stars in this sentiment-laden Neil Simon knock-off about a Jewish comedian in the late 1950s who becomes a television staple in the '60s, and an aged grouch in the present day. David Paymer tries hard in the doormat role of Crystal's put-upon older brother, but he and Crystal spend too much time in hokey old age make-up, bickering back and forth like in a road company version of "The Sunshine Boys". The movie looks good, with fine Don Peterman cinematography, but it attempts to combine nostalgia with stereotypical Jewish humor and half-hearted pathos--never cutting back on the insults and quips--for a static, unremarkable result. *1/2 from ****

Anyone who's paid attention to cinema knows who Billy Crystal is. Whether he's the wisecracker who occasionally hosts the Academy Awards, or the star of breezy comedy flicks, he's a perfectly recognizable face. But what you might not know is that in 1992, he directed and starred in a serious movie. "Mr. Saturday Night" casts him as a comedian long past his prime. Watching the movie, I got the feeling that the character was a composite of several noted comedians from the '50s. He's the sort of character who shifts between amicable and rude in one breath.

I guess that the movie's point is that there's no way to stay at the top forever, especially with how quickly things change (note the scene of "The Ed Sullivan Show"). Nonetheless, the movie does shift between comedy and drama; is there a way for Crystal not to be funny when he has the chance? You're sure to laugh at the scenes where he performs in front of audiences.

David Paymer received an Oscar nod for his role as the protagonist's exasperated brother and agent. He's an actor who doesn't get the recognition that he deserves. In a better world, this movie would've turned him into one of the most sought-after people in entertainment.

Anyway, the movie isn't a masterpiece, but worth seeing. Watch for appearances of Helen Hunt, Jerry Orbach, Richard Kind (Meemaw's friend on "Young Sheldon" and Bing Bong's voice in "Inside Out") and in a cameo, Jerry Lewis.

Billy Crystal's directorial debut was not a big success mainly due to the fact that people had no idea how multi-faceted he had the ability to be. This is not a comedy. This is a very moving drama about a comedian and his life, both public and private. There are several highly insightful moments and some real movie magic present. I assume Crystal had help with his directing, as there are a few crafty camera shots. I personally don't mind that most critics overlooked this movie, but I am very glad that the Academy recognized David Paymer, as Crystal's watching-from-the-wings brother, with a Best Supporting Actor nomination. He and Crystal play off each other wonderfully. They act so much like brothers throughout the years of the film, Paymer's last name might actually be Crystal.

Helen Hunt, Ron Silver, and Jerry Orbach have good roles, albeit fairly small. There are also several cameos, including Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. They co-wrote the movie with Crystal, and this duo have their names on Happy Days episodes, as well as a slew of films. This information is helpful to the humor when they appear as a couple of goofy young writers.

This fine film is not without a couple of drawbacks. The make-up job on Crystal and Paymer in their old age is far from realistic. This aspect of the film needed Rick Baker. The other item that detracts this from being a truly great film is that it is essentially a biography of a fictional person who isn't a very nice guy. The movie has a few moments where it wants the viewer to feel sorry for him for ruining his own life. To me, however, it is great storytelling and wonderful acting. It is sad, poignant, and, upon first viewing in 1992, nothing I expected from the mind of Billy Crystal.

If you've never seen this picture because you have heard too many negative things, please give it a viewing. You could very well be surprised.

Billy Crystal is a self-indulgent ass. Every time Howard Stern plays the tape of Stuttering John asking when the sequel to this shipwreck is coming out, and Billy is heard to lose his cool, it reminds me how close in personality he is to Buddy Young. At least Jerry Lewis, who is similarly capable of hilarious self-importance, got the joke when he took the part in KING OF COMEDY. This will go down with Bill Murray's wrongheaded foray into Serious Acting in THE RAZOR'S EDGE and Robin Williams' continuing descent into self-parody as a cautionary tale for the ages: a comedian ought to laugh at himself as much as the audience laughs at him. Otherwise he's going to give us the filmic equivalent of Eddie Murphy's R&B albums, every time. When will they learn?