The Comedy

This movie is quite possibly the best example of ultra-dry humour ever. Every serious person in this movie is you, or specially, anyone watching it and trying placing meaning or context. There is so much forth-wall stuff here - When Tim/Swanson is giving a scathing monologue, he's trying to make you laugh at the sheer facetiousness of the scene. The bit with him playing with the girls eyelid is especially funny - the actress is waiting for him to say his line. The joke is she' doesn't know Tim is messing with her.

The movie is trolling you with it's seriousness, it makes some actual poignant statements but there's no vast message being made here. Even the end of the film, which makes a beautiful point about the importance of relationships over the vast heartless intellectualism and cynicism of nihilistic "hipsters", only actually serves to make you think there's some moral statement, when actually all this is is classic Tim and Eric humour taken to it's art house-y extreme. It's a meta- comedy of anti-comedy. If you're not laughing, you lose!

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.

Outside melancholia I don't see be using many 5 dollar words to describe The Comedy. Born from the depths of a generation sans responsibility The Comedy is a sad portrayal of those privileged yet initiated in the world today. Essentially the hollow existence of a rich man (by way of proxy) is exposed as a numbing unnerving process in which a sad person seeks to feel alive through a series of ironic and annoying events that can only be described as "real life trolling". The acting is subtle and upsetting as you watch the life of a 4 grown men whittled away seemingly at their own discretion and it becomes even more upsetting when you realize these men do these things on their spare time as well leaving you wondering if the main character, wonderfully played by Tim Heidecker is searching for a deeper meaning in all this non-sense or simply killing time in between breathing.

The most striking and obvious theme of the movie is hit dead on, as no matter how much "fun" the characters are portrayed as having a deep seeded loneliness constantly lingers on the screen. Even as Heidecker's character forms relationship or merely interacts with a stranger you can feel the unhappiness he extrudes.

One thing about The Comedy that is for sure, is that while it may make you chuckle and even get a gut laugh is far from a comedy. No, The Comedy is ironic portrait of how ironic it is that a life fueled by irony is without a doubt sincerely unfulfilled.

If you are looking for the laugh riot of the year I suggest you pass on The Comedy. If you are looking for a serious film on flippant lives it might be the best of 2012.

"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.