Punching the Clown

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.

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.

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.

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.

I saw the movie on DVD and was hooked immediately. The story is excellent. The dialog is better written than any film I've seen this year, including my favorite "The Social Network" which was too esoteric at times. Punching the Clown is a real treat. Henry Phillips (I had never heard of him, even though he's been on late night TV) is a phenomenal storyteller and singer. The movie is a good showcase of Phillips's music and stand-up show (he plays himself), but it's also much more than that. The first scene constitutes the funniest 2 or 3 minutes I've ever seen on the subject of censorship and, in a way, it just gets better from there. The characters are wonderfully true to life: the unsuccessful manager (Ellen Ratner, a supporting actor on Seinfeld) who takes Henry under her wing and sees neither how damaging her tactics are nor how Henry's success is unrelated to her efforts, the struggling actor brother (Matthew Walker) who is just a well of bitterness, the late night public radio DJ (Wade Kelley) who manages to squeeze some truth out of a comic and doesn't really care if no one is listening to his show, and so many other characters, all new faces... The film is a musical performance film and every song in it is incredibly witty and surprising. One of the songs, a ballad about bullies and nerds in school is a comical gem that anyone who struggled through high school in this country will appreciate and probably start humming on their way to work. Other songs, about relationships, life on the road, life in LA, are as beautiful as any great pop song from the 70s, but with such outlandish and clever lyrics that you just want to bring your neighbors or co-workers in to share a great laugh after a hard day's work. Some of the scenes look a little grainy and indie-like, but it doesn't keep Punching the Clown from being the best comedy I've seen in at least a few years.