The Comedy

Suffice to say, "The Comedy" is not a comedy (even though it does contain laughs) nor is it necessarily about comedians. Spearheaded by a shockingly inspired performance from Tim Heidecker, what Rick Alverson's quietly brilliant film is, is in fact about pointlessness, indifference and mocking sincerity. Sounds riveting right? Well, it is…in a very experimental way. "The Comedy" is deep and poignant and fascinatingly layered with subtle jabs at society, as well as those who have so much in life, that they have become bored with everyday existence.

Opening with a sequence involving male nudity that is so awkward it may cause some viewers to say to themselves "what did I get myself into?", "The Comedy" follows a man named Swanson (Heidecker) who is seemingly unfazed by his father's impending death. Instead of a real job, he spends his days hanging out with his buddies, engrossed in inane verbal and physical (and sometimes sociopathic) games of one-upmanship. From impersonating store clerks and gardeners, to making the most inappropriate jokes during the most depressing and even life threatening moments, to degrading others in public in order to fulfill some kind of personal enjoyment, as this film progresses the activities of each of these men (including Swanson) become progressively offensive in order to maintain a sort of continuous high. And while this could be the plot to any crude Danny McBride piece of trash, it is Alverson's ultra serious tone, along with the fact that he throws these would be offensive but clownish comedic characters into a real world where people die, have disorders and are struggling to feed their families, which allows "The Comedy" to rise above the "crudeness for the sake of being crude" films of today.

As much as I enjoyed "The Comedy", this is one movie that will assuredly come under heavy scrutiny from a majority (that's right, I said majority) of movie going audiences, because, for one, while there is a subtle story arc here, this film is not pushed along by heavy conflict. And secondly, many unfamiliar with Heidecker's form of comedy will undoubtedly be turned off by the amount of absurdist drama which is played out by a group, whom on the surface seem too spoiled and flippant to care about. In short, even those who loved the terribly long "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie" or are fans of their show and have been eagerly awaiting more of the same skit driven comedy, may find "The Comedy" a bit too tonally heavy or obscure to take (and that is truly saying something).

Side Note: Some have said that the Tim Hiedecker's style of comedy is a form of avant-garde comedy or apart of the anti-comedy movement. Meaning, that much of his shtick consists of making his audiences (television or otherwise) highly uncomfortable, to the point where they either laugh at his awkwardness or dismiss his actions as strange. And while Hiedecker's awkward style of comedy is featured prominently here, his performance is anything but comedic. In fact, he gives a quite emotionally dramatic performance in a movie that, if it were a straight forward comedy, would have seen Zach Galifianakis in the starring role. Thankfully, this is not the case because Hiedecker's performance is absolutely magnificent (and dare I say award worthy?) in this role that was obviously tailored specifically for him.

Final Thought: I will reiterate, and I can't say this enough, how "The Comedy" is not for everybody; especially if you are expecting a comedy. To some audiences this is all going to seem as an exercise in pathetic nature and nonsensical mannerisms, but rest assured that there is something happening here on a very highly conceptual level that is not only meant to make viewers uncomfortable, and cringe and laugh at the most inappropriate things, as well as think these characters are pathetic while at the same time feel sorry for them, but is also a subtly laced work of a very skilled writer, whose entire point seems to be an analysis/criticism of the reaction of "normal people" to those who wish to push the limits of comedy. Not since Lars von Trier's "The Idiots" have I witnessed a movie that was this skillfully successful in demonstrating the complex struggles of a generation built on a doctrine of nihilistic irreverence. In short, if you chose to see "The Comedy", you will either absolutely love it or absolutely hate it.

Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland

You see them all the time, young adult hipsters doing nothing productive; sitting around drinking fancy coffees, sharing big ideas but taking no actions. So what happens when these ambition-less, wandering people are forced to grow up and confront actual problems, the actual day to day existence that they have always disparaged and looked down upon. This film follows Tim Heidecker's character as he juggles with his haze-ridden, alcohol-filled youth and the oppressive responsibility that looms over him as he just tries to continue his youthful fun at the expense of others. A film about not wanting to grow up but finding out there's a time when adult-hood just takes you and as much as you wish and hope and fight to maintain your existence, you find it disappearing underneath your canvas shoes. A compulsive jokester/liar using his version of truth to have things done his way. A man unable to be serious in a world that values your mask more than yourself but when you can't turn it off, you drive away the people closest to you because even you prefer knowing the impersonal version of self. A child at heart who doesn't have the answers and may never have the answers to a problem that's so hard for many of us. Life.

"The Comedy" is filmmaking at its most uncomfortable and disturbing. With its truly despicable characters, dark humor, and discomforting atmosphere, "The Comedy" is a film that has me physically cringing throughout.

The film is circles around an unlikable and practically lifeless hipster (played by comedian Tim Heidecker) and follows him around as he lives his boring, useless life. He hangs out with friends, goes to parties, goes into taxi cabs and basically tortures the drivers (not literally, but figuratively), and visits his father in the hospital.

Whenever he does anything, he does it pretty obnoxiously. The movie is just him being a truly despicable person for 90 minutes, and it is really fascinating.

At times, it's really hilarious (in a twisted way), and at others it's just downright disturbing and unsettling. Watch it at your own risk!

I saw The Comedy at a packed theater at the Vancouver International Film Festival (2012). The film follows a rich spoiled Brooklyn hipster type played by Tim Heidecker. He and his friends wallow in an excess of alcohol, boredom, and childish antics as they careen from one disruption to another. The character of Swanson pushes every boundary of good taste and civil behavior and will definitely get a reaction out of the audience.

As you watch The Comedy, you will laugh. There are definitely scenes of laugh out loud silliness and gross out humor. But this is not a comedy! The jokes all have a point and it's a point that is most definitely not funny.

Rick Alverson was in attendance and did a Q&A after the show. He said he deliberately wanted to make a film that provoked noting how tired he was of seeing people leave mainstream films like violent action films completely unphased. He only wrote a 20 page script and let the actors improvise extensively. He also simply emailed the actors, including Tim Heidecker, to see if they were interested and they jumped at the opportunity. Alverson thought the discomfort inherent in the comedy of Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim would translate well into this dramatic picture and with that he succeeded. You will squirm, guaranteed! Whether or not you will pick up on the deeper commentary, or if there even is a deeper point, depends really on the person.

An uncomfortable mix of anti-PC bullying, laconic social critique and Cassavettes-style realism, Rick Alverson's The Comedy is a challenging movie. An experience of endurance, rather than entertainment, it's basically Jackass with a brain. A real puzzle. I wasn't sure whether I should walk out or give it a standing ovation. Either way, it's a painful ninety minutes.

One half of the creative team behind Adult Swim's flatulent sketch show, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Heidecker's brutal depiction of Swanson encapsulates, and furthermore parodies, the exact audience from which he has become a cult demigod – the trust-funded, apathetic hipster. Instead of the garish surrealism of said TV series, The Comedy is rooted in documentary-like naturalism.

Aimlessly wandering around his stomping ground of Williamsburg, New York, Swanson spends his days trying to find substance for life – picking up jobs as a dishwasher even though he's loaded, travelling across town via his cosy houseboat, heading into ghettoised bars so that he can rile up/bond with the local "brothers", and chatting to drunk women about how feudalism is great and Hitler misunderstood. Far from just testing the patience and credulity of the characters on screen, Alverson is reaching out to the audience watching The Comedy. Whether the embittered sentiment of the film is ironic, genuine or otherwise is dependent on your own tolerance level and engagement with this truly unsympathetic, crass character.

Uncritically speaking, I found Heidecker's performance mesmerising, but the character unrelenting nasty. In partiocular, there's a bedroom scene late on in the movie which left me feeling abused and nauseous. A powerful reaction to cinema, but certainly not a welcome one!

If you feel compelled to sit through this venomous, albeit fraught comedy, it would make for perfect double bill with the LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits. Not only do both movies feature the humble DFA Records boss James Murphy, they both wryly depict the ennui and societal disconnect of an ageing American subculture.

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