Punching the Clown

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.

Solidly made film about the trials and humiliations of a likable comedic troubadour's misadventures in L.A. benefits strongly from an immensely likable lead (playing himself which is of course not nearly as easy as a person would think it to be) and likable oddball supporting characters that help give the film a strong sense of place as well. Both of the actors who play the talent agent and Phillips's brother are very well used, and very well written as well.

The film isn't perfect. The recurring plot line/joke of people in L.A. believing Phillips to be a neo nazi because of various misunderstandings and gossip spreading is spread awfully thin the longer it goes on (and i'm not sure how funny an idea it was to begin with quite honestly) and there are some jokes here and there that don't really land the way they should, (although there are plenty that do of course) Phillips himself gives such a strong sense of self--or more likely such a strong sense of insecurities facing a performer who can't seem to catch a break anywhere despite being really good on-stage...that none of the film's flaws really matter in the end--because they're mostly easy to overlook.

The only two things about the movie is that i didn't find it so flat out hilarious so much as generally enjoyable. The movie didn't have me in stitches even though some of the songs Phillips performs are very well done and very funny when you stop and think about it---(and catchy too actually now that i think about it...maybe its just me then) but the movie works more as a drama then anything else anyways. In that sense the narrative works wonderfully throughout---will the talent agent manage to help book him a solid gig? will the record label actually sign him? well anything even remotely positive happen to him in a way that he can enjoy it? these questions are actually very elegantly posed and the search for those answers generate a lot more suspense then you'd think they would. Its a well oiled screenplay which brings me to the other flaw--which is the ending. Film doesn't seem to have a third act beyond Phillips gets humiliated without ever really getting to right the record. I know the work--Phillip's work itself is what sets the record straight once and for all--that it gets played and people get to hear and get to see it in a film version is the real triumph--but its kind of a delayed gratification that you don't get to see Phillips get to really go after the guy (or guys) who sort of set him up for a fall. Its ultimately all right though because again the film's likability helps you overlook that in general.

That this film took a good decade (more or less) to create makes it even more of an achievement (the director who was a college friend of Phillios i believe raised the funds for production himself, and i know for a fact is distributing the movie himself from town to town as well--i know cause i saw him answering questions after the film at a regular screening of it as well--he literally just happened to be in the lobby because he is personally distributing the thing apparently.) In that sense its a true independent film and just the fact that it made it to a screen at all (especially in today's distribution climate) is miraculous all on its own.

Here's a good one for you, if you want something new. Punching the Clown. Yes, the title means what you think it means, but that's not what the film is about... Well, yes, it IS about a clown of sorts (a comic) that rolls with the punches... but nothing immature here. Trust me, I know immature!

Anyway, I loved it. My favorite characters apart from Henry Phillips were his useless but loving manager (Ellen Ratner, she reminded me of my mom... Bonus: she does the commentary track with the director and the star. There are some very funny deleted scenes too.), his amazing failed actor brother (Matt Walker) and the extremely realistic record company guy (Guilford Adams). There are plenty of other great characters. Most of them are surprisingly true to life.

Without giving too much away, it's about a singer/comic who decides to move to LA because his luck dried up singing at one too many pizza joints on the road. In Hollywood, he gets a record deal a little too quickly, and then... life happens. The plot is fun (though not 100% fresh) but the way it plays out is about as fresh as anything I've seen on a screen, big or small. Henry's songs are hilarious, which is refreshing. Kind of like a young Tom Waits.

The movie is expertly directed, avoiding cliché's, keeping the story moving the entire time. It will suck you in. It won the audience award at the Slamdance film festival and a bunch of other awards, and I can see why. It's got a high rating (rotten tomatoes). It's got my vote too.

I didn't realize how ready I was for something fresh until I laughed and smiled for 90 minutes watching this amazing low-budget comedy.

I went to see the movie in New York after getting a tweet from Sarah Silverman saying she loved it and that everyone should go see it. I saw that she actually called it "the funniest movie about comedy I've seen so far." My expectations were really high after that endorsement, but I quickly understood what she meant: it's better, or at least funnier, than any film I've seen on the subject of comedy, stand-up, the music business or even Hollywood image making. I was simply blown away. Not so much by the cinematography or the general look of it (which is fine, that's not the point of the movie), but by the amazingly witty situations and the funny dialog which is razor sharp, yet, at the same time, very laid-back and realistic. The plot is very original in the genre, even if the story is kind of a classic. Classic in a good sense. In fact, part of it seems completely real, but not in a mockumentary way. In a very good way.

And I'm forgetting to state the obvious: Henry Phillips is hilarious. His songs are beautiful and funny as hell. The film is so well balanced and intelligently structured that by the end of it I felt like I'd just witnessed something unique: a comical tragedy about a tragically comic man. I wanted more. I bought Phillips's last two CDs. He's no fluke. His music is as brilliant as the movie.

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.