FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

Sarah is sitting around the house with a couple of friends as they talk about all the projects they have going on. When it comes time for her turn, Sarah is forced to make up something in order to sound popular and busy. What she comes up with is a live stage show that night in which she will sing, dance and tell jokes about everything and anything, including AIDS, the holocaust, dead relatives and strippers. So, now it’s time to make it happen, because her friends are going to be watching backstage. Can she pull it off?

The answer is yes. That’s just the opening sketch. The rest of the film is devoted to showing us her stage show interspersed with a few songs shot separately as music videos. If they’re going to break it up with anything, I wish they had included more sketches a la “Pulp Comics” (except funny). Although the songs are filmed nicely and have a couple good lines, mostly they fail miserably. Her standard surprising, out of left field approach is missing most of the time, especially when the chorus has to be repeated or the premise of the song is picked up.

Contrast with that the concert footage, which is pretty damn hilarious, but looks like crap. The video is extremely grainy and the editing decisions appear to be completely random. If only director Liam Lynch (the upcoming “Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny” as well as the genius cult classic show “Sifl & Olly”) had utilized the same production quality during the stage show portion. Ultimately, it doesn’t detract from the comedic value of Silverman’s stand-up act. The brilliance to her delivery is that it unravels with a slow roll, and then hits you when you least expect it with a double barrel shot. Her set-ups are stammering, seemingly disorganized ramblings as if she’s trying to find her place in the routine. There’s no rhythm you can use to predict when the first punchline will come. That way it hits full force. Then Silverman usually hits you with an aftershock that nearly reaches the same levels as the initial joke. Most comedians telegraph their jokes. Sarah Silverman is one of the few comics out there that seems to have found a way to bypass all those conventions and come at you with something completely original and outrageously funny.

The movie won’t be for everyone. Anyone easily offended should keep restraining order distance away. Hardcore fans probably shouldn’t really bother either, because even if this material is all new (I can’t tell you for sure if it is), you’ve probably read it all in interviews, reviews and other promotional articles. This movie is for the open minded and casual fans. If you’ve heard the name, or enjoyed her act on a roast or stand-up blurb, then you’ll have a great time watching the film. For me, it was just nice seeing a comedy concert film with a single performer again. The fact that it’s a good one was a nice bonus.

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