I'll establish this right now: "The Comedy," is in no way an actual comedy.  That's not to say that there are no moments in the film where you'll laugh, because there probably are.  Any laugh earned, however, will eventually be overwhelmed by a great unease, which will give way to a skin crawling disgust, only to fold back in on itself like an Escher painting, until you find yourself laughing again.  Which, about 20 minutes into the film, I realized was exactly what Writer/Director Rick Alverson and star Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric's Awesome Show! Great Job!) intended. 

(FULL DISCLOSURE:  I used to work with Doug Lussenhop, editor and writer for T&E)

So if it's not a comedy, then what is, "The Comedy," supposed to be?  It seems to exist as a scathing middle finger to a disturbingly growing population: the entitled, white, male, aging hipster.  It's ironic then, that most of the cast and crew are made up of exactly that.  It is in that regard that "The Comedy," is sort of brilliant when it's not disturbing or even frustrating.
 

The plot is thin enough to barely spread over the course of its running time.  Swanson (Heidecker) is a 35 year old hipster who lives on a houseboat near Williamsburg, New York.  He spends most of his days traversing through the city either alone or with his peer group, made up of real life collaborator Eric Warheim and, in odd yet inspired choices, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) and Gregg Turkington (better known as the comedian Neil Hamburger).  Their existence is justified solely by fucking with everyone and everything they encounter, and cloaking themselves in an impenetrable shield of irony and sarcasm.  As a group, they only seem to drop this facade when one of their group in fact isn't sarcastic enough or attempts to have a sincere moment.  From the outset, we learn that Swanson has an ailing father, and he stands to inherit some undefined fortune.  It is this impending event that sends our....protagonist?....off on a series of escapades that make up the bulk of the film.  Many screenwriters would use this tragedy as a way to guide the character of Swanson on a path towards self discovery, and hopefully redemption.  Nope.  Not happening here.  If anything, the spectre of unlimited resources seem only to encourage Swanson and company's bad behavior, perhaps out of a sense of panic that the adult world can no longer claim them.  It is in this that makes the film unique.  Tim and Eric, as well as most of the onscreen talent has acquired a fan base through their own work that is made up primarily of the demographic that this film portrays as selfish, manipulative, sadistic, and completely incapable of sincere thought or deed.  In many ways, this film is a hipster roach motel.  Oh, you say like Tim and Eric?  You love LCD Soundsystem?  You constantly retweet Neil Hamburger from your grandma's funeral?  Well come on into the theater, kids!  Now here, stare at this mirror for 90 minutes and look at just how fucking god awful you are.  The phrase, "bold choice," gets used quite a bit in film criticism, but here it seems appropriate.  In fact, the entirety of the films payload is at the millennial generation at large.   Any time I caught myself laughing was immediately followed by questioning if I was an awful human being.  Eric Warheim's slideshow towards the end of the film had me howling before I realized just how sad it was at the implied backstory.
           
I can't promise you will, as they say, enjoy watching the film.  What I can promise, if you have the patience to watch it, is an understated yet completely fearless performance by Heidecker.  Alverson is able to keep the plot relatively light, yet add just a few small touches that hint at a much larger backstory for these characters.  The score is minimal, yet able to keep the mood in a place bereft of comfort.  All the supporting roles are strong, especially the two main female roles by Kate Lyn Shell and Alexia Rasmussen.  Those two characters in particular are interesting because they allude more to Swanson's past and illustrate a possible future for him.  A future, that isn't necessarily promising. 

The COmedy is available on iTunes currently and is playing at select theaters right now.

Last edited by Eddie (2012-10-26 18:21:17)