Rolling with
the punchlines

There’s cinematic, comedic gems aplenty at
the 13th annual Just for Laughs Film Festival

ABOUT TO BLOW UP: Zach Galifianakis in Visioneers

by MALCOLM FRASER

The Just for Laughs machine this year unveils the lucky 13th edition of its Just for Laughs Film Festival. Formerly known as Comedia, the fest mixes first looks at future blockbusters with harder-to-find comic gems, providing something for every sense of humour on the spectrum.

The big ticket item this year is Judd Apatow’s Funny People, in which the comedic kingpin revisits the director’s chair for the first time since Knocked Up, teaming up not only with his wife Leslie Mann and muse Seth Rogen but none other than Adam Sandler. Evidently turning its lens on the world of comedy itself, the highly anticipated film features a cast of Apatow regulars (Jonah Hill), unexpected appearances (Eric Bana, the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA) and both Sarah Silverman and Norm McDonald playing themselves, which for some of us sells the whole thing right there.

Now, it could be reasonably argued that Robin Williams has made more bad calls than good over the course of his career, but fans of left-field comedy have a solid reason to check out his latest, World’s Greatest Dad. That reason would be writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait, who in recent years has been mostly directing TV (The Man Show, Jimmy Kimmel, Chappelle’s Show) but who some might fondly remember from the Police Academy flicks and as the director of the sublime Shakes the Clown. The truly dark premise of World’s Greatest Dad finds Williams writing a fake suicide note to cover up his son’s accidental death; when the note gets published, he rides the ensuing inspirational fame to a successful writing career.

For those whose tastes run less morbid and more indie-cute, check out Paper Heart, in which sensitivity poster boy Michael Cera and real-life girlfriend Charlyne Yi star in a semi-autobiographical quasi-documentary about their relationship. The 23-year-old Yi, who was hilarious as a stoner girlfriend in Knocked Up, also wrote the script, and will be in town to present the film.

The fest is presenting a number of films that dwell further left of the mainstream. Zach Galifianakis, the anti-comedy hero who recently crossed over with The Hangover, stars in Visioneers as an office worker whose colleagues begin spontaneously combusting from stress. Jim Breuer, onetime star of Half Baked, Clerks and SNL, takes an unexpected tack with More Than Me, a documentary about caring for his elderly father, while Beautiful is the latest stand-up film from cult icon Margaret Cho. There’s also plenty of bite-sized laughs to be had in the Eat My Shorts, Eat My Twisted Shorts and Tout Court programs.

For local flavour, check out Laughology, the latest from Canadian documentarian Albert Nerenberg (Stupidity, Let’s All Hate Toronto), who this time explores the history and science of laughter. Take note, he’ll be joined at the screening by one Doug Collins, described as “the man with the world’s most contagious laugh.”

Montreal’s majority tongue is well represented in the fest as well, with selections ranging from French 007 spoof sequel OSS 117: Lost in Rio, local comedy Agathe Cléry, about a racist white woman who wakes up in a black lady’s body, and Les doigts croches, the directorial debut of celebrated screenwriter Ken Scott, starring Roy Dupuis in the tale of a gang of aging criminals. If it’s anywhere near as funny as Tough Guys with Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster, I’m there.

THE JUST FOR LAUGHS FILM FESTIVAL
RUNS FROM JULY 10–27 AT THE
IMPERIAL THEATRE, PLACE DES ARTS
AND THE NFB CINEROBOTHEQUE