Release Date:
Friday, October 11, 2002
Jerry Seinfeld had the comedy world by the balls before he threw it all away on his last HBO special, Im Telling You for the Last Timewhen he retired all of his material. Comedian documents Seinfeld trying to put together another full 60-minute stand-up routine from scratch and again become master of his domain. (Sorry, weve been sitting on that one since he retired.)
Seinfeld is followed around as he discusses comedy with every funny man from Colin Quinn to Bill Cosby. Shot with handheld digital cameras, Comedian tries hard to establish its realness, but everyone involved seems to be pitching their shtick for the camera. Hearing Seinfeld curse and act neurotic isnt as shocking as the directors might have wanted it to be, but its still funny. The up-and-comer Orny Adams, who gets bumped during one of Seinfelds early stage appearances, is a nice break from Seinfelds faux concern about audience reactionAdams actually has something to lose. He hasnt made it yet and has no safety net. Watching this guy work his way up to Letterman and get signed by Seinfelds longtime manager was as fun as watching Jerry blank out in the middle of one of his first comeback routines. The awkward moments and compulsive behavior of storied comicscameo-spotting is part of the fun hereare what make this film so enjoyable.
Seinfeld is followed around as he discusses comedy with every funny man from Colin Quinn to Bill Cosby. Shot with handheld digital cameras, Comedian tries hard to establish its realness, but everyone involved seems to be pitching their shtick for the camera. Hearing Seinfeld curse and act neurotic isnt as shocking as the directors might have wanted it to be, but its still funny. The up-and-comer Orny Adams, who gets bumped during one of Seinfelds early stage appearances, is a nice break from Seinfelds faux concern about audience reactionAdams actually has something to lose. He hasnt made it yet and has no safety net. Watching this guy work his way up to Letterman and get signed by Seinfelds longtime manager was as fun as watching Jerry blank out in the middle of one of his first comeback routines. The awkward moments and compulsive behavior of storied comicscameo-spotting is part of the fun hereare what make this film so enjoyable.