by CHRIS BARRY

While it’s easy to be skeptical about a documentary whose principal subject also happens to be the film’s producer, Comedian comes off as a fairly honest portrayal of the enigma that is Jerry Seinfeld. Director Christian Charles, whose resumé consists primarily of creating annoying television commercials for Pepsi and American Express, followed the great one around for a little over a year with a couple of handheld digital video cameras to capture Seinfeld in the process of developing his new stand-up routine.

And while that might indeed sound like a film about nothing, rest assured it’s not. Gritty and surprisingly insightful, Charles has clearly taken a few cues from D.A. Pennebaker to produce a documentary that has more in common with Don’t Look Back than, say, a predictable celebrity vehicle like Madonna’s Truth or Dare.

Most of Comedian centres around the fabulously wealthy and successful Seinfeld wrestling to come up with new material worthy of his reputation. Back in the same small clubs that he started out in, we get to see ol’ Jerry anguish over whether he still has the comedic goods or not. He blows his lines, gets heckled, swears a lot, agonizes over his routine with other famous comedians and, essentially, suffers through all the self-doubt and insecurities that come part and parcel with the creative process. Revealing a far darker Jerry than the character he played on TV, the effect is humanizing, with Seinfeld often coming across as just another vulnerable, insecure artist. At times you’re almost tempted to feel sorry for the guy, he seems so distraught, until you remind yourself that he’s flying around to all of these dingy comedy clubs in a private jet and is probably the most commercially successful, and arguably respected, comedian of his generation. Boo fucking hoo, rich boy.

But while some may find themselves shedding a few misguided tears of empathy for mega-star Seinfeld, you can be certain no one will be crying too hard for the other principal of this film, up and coming 29-year-old comedian Orny Adams. Providing a stark and obvious contrast to humble old pro Seinfeld, the thoroughly unlikable Adams is presented here as a neurotic, arrogant, unfunny comic more concerned with building his career than actually being funny. A kind of anti-Jerry, at one point the film shows Adams backstage putting down a Montreal audience who didn’t laugh hard enough at his jokes. (Sorry Orny, try saying something funny next time and see what happens.) Adams is presented so negatively, in fact, that if one were pre-disposed to conspiracy theories, they might suspect that Orny, who shares a manager with Seinfeld, was deliberately chosen to be in this film just to accent how saintly and honourable a man Jerry Seinfeld is.

An excellent behind the scenes look at the world of stand-up comedy, Comedian is undoubtedly a must-see for all aspiring stand-ups, and succeeds in presenting a nice, if not slightly heavy-handed, contrast between two comedians, one a seasoned old pro, the other an aspiring, obnoxious wannabe. :

Comedian opens Friday, Oct. 25

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