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Review Uploaded
11/15/02

1 hr. 21 mins.
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld
Directed by: Christian Charles

Frank’s film tip: Something smells awfully funny in the entertaining and insightful Jerry Seinfeld documentary “Comedian”.

So director Christian Charles turns the spotlight on ‘90’s television pop culture icon Jerry Seinfeld in the cozy and comfy expose’ piece Comedian? Hey, not that there’s anything wrong with that! With “Sein” language such as puffy shirts, shrinkage, and being a “master of one’s domain” put aside, this extremely witty and revealing documentary takes us behind the scenes and focuses on perhaps one of the most influential comedic masterminds to affect the arena of stand-up comedy both on stage and on TV in modern times. This is a nice and noteworthy look at Jerry Seinfeld and his beloved craft dedicated to “manipulating the funnybone” while on tour during his post-sitcom superstardom days. Comedian is keenly insightful, oddly intriguing, and resilient in its attempt to show us how a masterful performer such as Seinfeld perfects his meticulous routine through sheer hard work and precision.

If anything, highly touted joyboy Jerry reminds us just how demanding and competitive the comedy business really is. One might think that the humorous observations regarding Seinfeld’s reliable act comes easy to the gifted entertainer. But the comedian isn’t afraid to show the voyeuristic audience the anxiety and overall antsy moments behind conjuring up his quirky and smart material. Comedian feels alive and alert in its presentation. This is probably because it has that fresh spontaneity, especially when superstar Seinfeld pops in unannounced at some of the local comedy clubs. One might compare this to royalty paying an unexpected visit to his devoted peasants by paying them respect due to his exclusive presence. But what makes this even more special is that Seinfeld is not pompous or pampered about these selected impromptu engagements. In fact, he agonizes over these gigs as if he was entertaining before important heads of state. So there’s definitely a distinctive sweetness about Seinfeld’s willingness to cavort among the appreciative masses at venues that normally couldn’t afford a comedian of this magnitude. Also, the loyalty to dedicate so much time to an unpredictable profession that has in return elevated this financially stabilized showman to an acquired comfort zone feels so unimaginable yet invigorating.

So what may be introspective and defining about Comedian are the different facets of presenting Jerry Seinfeld behind the scenes as he makes the rounds as some uncontrollable workaholic. At one given instance the high-powered funnyman can be seen yucking it up with legendary colleagues such as Bill Cosby and Jay Leno. And on another level, we see Seinfeld at his most neurotic state because this guy wants the science of his fun-filled gig to be almost as precise and impeccable as a neurosurgeon making preparations for a life-threatening operation. After all, memorizing lines and fussing over the delivery of an effective joke is indeed the surgical procedure in the mind of a top-notch jokester such as Jerry Seinfeld. Refreshingly, his expectations are higher personally than it is for the people who pay to see him perform. Maybe that’s the way it should be, right? After all, this focused individual didn’t just happen to get lucky by drawing millions of TV fans each week during his addictive and riotous self-entitled NBC-TV situation comedy by merely slacking off and being nonchalant about his livelihood and purpose! Hence, Seinfeld is the well-deserved comedic force that he is because of his intense acknowledgement for the aura of the comedy business and its sacredness. As clichéd as this may sound, the performer made some sacrifices and paid some dues. The gracious reward ultimately matched the dedication that Seinfeld exhibits with furious conviction.

Comedian never comes full circle with the intimate details surrounding the personal life of Jerry Seinfeld. And to be honest, it really shouldn’t try and fill this particular void. The real romanticism is about a man and his love affair with one main dancing partner-the companion called comedy. Granted the revelation about this celebrated humorist and his steady commitment to slaving for the emotional rush of stand-up is something that’s not foreign to most observers who know Seinfeld up close and for those who appreciate him from afar. However, this showcase does manage to peek at something that most of us don’t realize-the technical tidbits and unrelenting fortitude that goes into the making of this comic’s madness and overall genius.

Believe me, what they say about comedy is certainly true in that it’s a hard product to sell. And make no mistake when we come to the praised and obvious conclusion that comedian extraordinaire Jerry Seinfeld is the right salesman for the job. Yeah, he’ll have you in stitches but also he’ll have you transfixed as to what it takes for this revered individual in the showbiz racket to bring us closer to the mechanics involved in why we treasure his talent and artistry in the first place. Go ahead…you got permission to laugh it up. And fittingly, good ole Seinfeld deserves the best and last laugh for making his mark so priceless as well.

Frank rates this film: *** stars (out of 4 stars)