Il commediante

When I first saw this film I thought that it was brilliant. At first it seemed to have an amateurish quality about it, but this turned out not to be true. What I thought was amateurish about it turned out to be the sound. The ever present ocean seems to add to the sound quality as if the viewer were really there, experiencing what actually happened.

This is undoubtedly one of Oliver Platt's best roles. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the intriguing Mr.Fawkes. Lee Evans was also unbelievably riveting in his portrayal as the mentally disturbed young man.

This film is very representative of the small town in Britain with it's quiet undisturbed population that seems to be frozen in time, in contrast to Fawkes's father's life in America, which is busy and ever-changing, where the most important thing in life is money, as opposed to memories being just as important back in the small British town.

The best part of the film is watching (in small parts) the unravelling of the horrific event that had happened so many years before and turned the young man (played by Lee Evans) into the person he is today.

A riveting watch. See it.

Although mostly overlooked at the time of release, this is undoubtedly one of the best films of the 90's. Elegantly surreal, Funny Bones is filled with wonderful visuals and a timeless quality.

At the center of this story stands Tommy Fawkes, a reluctant young comedian struggling in his famous father's (Jerry Lewis) shadow. Fawkes is masterfully portrayed by Oliver Platt, an incredibly talented actor who is often placed in supporting roles. Adept at all roles, it's always refreshing to find him as our lead. Platt has a particular gift for portraying the edgy hero, reminiscent of Karl Malden at his best. Somehow, he manages to make Tommy dark, yet uncomplicated.

In contrast, we have Jack Parker--seemingly the simplest of characters, he is the darkest and most complicated of all. This offered many of us our first glimpse of Lee Evans, a brilliant young UK actor/comedian with an astonishing penchant for physical comedy. His energy alone is enough to leave the viewer completely awestruck. If Fate is kind, we should have the good fortune of seeing a great deal more of him.

As for the rest of this stellar cast, Leslie Caron is charming as ever, George Carl and Freddie Davies are pure energy, and Jerry Lewis is, well, Jerry Lewis (there is no higher compliment I can pay him).

Essentially, this film is a requisite for anyone who enjoys surreal, dark comedy with a philosophical edge and an often slapstick pace.

"The dark moon, she pulls the tides also." --Thomas Parker (Freddie Davies)

I had seen the standard shots of this film when it came out and thought that the comedy seemed pretty bad - which put me off seeing it in the cinema.

However, now that it's been on TV I would like to recommend it to anyone who wants to see a film which has an original story, interesting characters, unusual settings, great acting, great photography.... generally the opposite of the usual Hollywood fare I usually have to suffer because of my friends.

So, to sum up, it's been marketed wrongly - this is not a film which you should see for a laugh; it's a film which constantly surprises - not least in dramatic turns in the story.

Loved it - 9/10

This film is a very underrated gem - it cant be put into a nice little box like Hollywood always wants to do with projects. "This is a wacky comedy" "This is a dark family drama", etc. You could tell they did not know how to market the film when it first came out in the US. They made it look like a wacky farce which it is not. This film works as a dark comedy about talent, those that have it and those that dont and yes, Jerry lewis gives a strong performance (right up there with King Of Comedy)and Lee Evans is a marvel as a talented comedian and Oliver Platt gives one ofhis best performances as an untalented offspring of a legend. Worth seeing - just dont expect slapstick, expect three-dimensional flawed people trying to make peace with one another and get through their torn lives.

Funny Bones is not a traditional comedy. It starts off being deliberately unamusing, yet it later becomes evident that this was done not only to establish reason for the events that occur during the rest of the movie, but also to create good character development. Oliver Platt proves that he is not only a great comedic actor, but he can be just as good when he is trying NOT to be funny. His on-stage scenes early in the film were not only well-lit but also wonderfully acted and photographed. Jerry Lewis also performs a surprisingly convincing role in a startling turn from sheer comedic hilarity to a seriously dramatic role as Platt's legendary comedian father.

Platt plays Tommy Fawkes, a struggling stand-up comedian trying to live up to the legacy that his famous father George Fawkes (Jerry Lewis) has created. George is now retired, and Tommy is struggling to get his career started. After yet another painful failure onstage, Tommy decides to travel back to Blackpool, England, where his family's comedy originated. The people that Tommy meets there are strangely fascinating, and Lee Evans delivers a particularly interesting performance as Jack Parker, the high energy comedian who is on the run from the law and is also George Fawkes' bastard son. His one full length comedy act is absolutely amazing to watch.

As Tommy is holding auditions trying to find something funny to include in his own act back in the States, he learns more and more about the people living in Blackpool and about their history as well as some dishonorable actions of his own father, and he learns an important lesson from it all. He ultimately finds his place in the world of live acting, and the transformation from who he was at the beginning of the film to who he is at the end is incredible.

Funny Bones is an excellent but very different comedy that is ultimately very rewarding and satisfying. The cinematic trickery and the skillful use of lighting add to the experience, and the acting is excellent all around. The circus scene at the end of the film was great, it was tense and amazingly well done. Although slow at times, this is a great film about overcoming obstacles and developing your own view of the world, as well as the importance of finding your rightful place in it.