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Just when I think I've laughed as hard
as I can laugh, something fresh and hilarious
comes along to make me bust my gut even further.
Sarah Silverman, the young, pretty, sexy, edgy
comedienne who has made a name for herself on
the comedy talk show circuit over the past couple
years, breaks forth with a stand-up movie (peppered
with inconsequential sideline skits) that is
perhaps the funniest movie of the year. This
is primo stuff, the good shit, and Silverman
delivers every moment she is on stage in the
film.
To be sure, this material is not for the
faint of heart or for anyone who is proud to
live in a Red State. Silverman takes on the
most outrageous of subjects like racism, AIDS,
religious intolerance, 9/11 and nearly every
other taboo subject in society today and rips
them wide open with an edgy, ironic, sly and
hilarious twists that will anger anyone who
has even a smidgeon of self-righteousness in
their body. No one is sacred here; Jews, heterosexuals,
Caucasians, Americans, celebrities and women
(all of which describe Silverman) are as likely
to be skewered as Catholics, Protestants, men,
African-Americans, gays, Nazis, racists, anti-Semites,
senior citizens, and children. Silverman is
unafraid to burn anyone and she has the wit
to start fires about any subject she chooses
to address.
And while other comedians have a core audience,
like Margaret Cho and Kathy Griffin have gays
or Patton Oswalt, Jimmy Kimmel (Silverman's
boyfriend) and Dave Chappell have college-aged
males, Silverman offends everyone leaving her
only open to those with a sense of humor as
wicked as her own. That's what is so amazing
about her work here. She leaves no stone unturned
when it comes to being sharp, edgy and acerbic
and offends nearly everyone in the process.
The only people who will appreciate Silverman
are those who are as intelligent as her and
those who are able to laugh at themselves as
easily as she does. This is high concept comedy
in the fact that you simply must have a decent
IQ to get it. If you don't understand irony
and absurdism, you are going to miss half of
Silverman's genius. Yes her jokes are funny,
but they are cut with the most sharp and brilliant
undertow of irony that is likely to be found
in comedy today.
Directed by cult icon Liam Lynch, Silverman's
"Jesus is Magic" is sadly however the kind of
production that went out of style in the 80's.
Silverman's stand-up routine in front of a live
audience, which is thankfully the biggest chunk
of the film, is intercut with skits and music
videos that generally just don't work. The exceptions
are the opening musical number that introduces
the piece (after a lame skit with Sarah's sister
and Brain Posehn that sets everything up) and
a music video where Silverman dresses as a 60's
pop singer and re-iterates most of the points
she has made in her stand-up routine about racism
and anti-Semitism. What makes these two sideline
musical number work is Silverman's charm and
ease in front of the camera. Much less successful
are a skit with Bob Odenkirk as her manager,
a absurdist aside about a masturbating teamster,
and a cruel musical number featuring senior
citizens. Silverman would have been wise to
stick to stand-up routine and trust the audience
to not get bored. We don't need music videos
and goofy skits to keep us interested; in fact,
these are good places to go get a popcorn refill
or take a piss.
I honestly haven't laughed as hard this
year as I did at "Sarah Silverman: Jesus is
Magic." The acidic anger and confrontational
nature of Silverman's comedy is masked by the
cute, perky, sexy female persona she presents
on stage, making her comedy act as much performance
art as it is stand- up routine. These same jokes
told by a male would be vulgar, politically
incorrect, and unacceptable. When Silverman
whips out the same routine with her sly smile
and doe-like fluttering eyes, the harshness
is completely removed from the humor making
it seem thoughtful and intelligent instead of
bitter and venomous. Silverman is magic herself,
an alchemist making some very profound and brutally
honest comments about some of the most important
issues facing humanity in the new millennium
seem funny, charming and, most importantly,
thought provoking. I will always love Margaret
Cho as she is the most wonderful woman working
in comedy today, but suddenly Silverman, with
"Jesus is Magic," seems like the most important
and relevant person, male or female, working
in the genre of stand-up.
Notes:
Director Lynch, who has produced many musical
and comedy video pieces, has "Tenacious D in
'The Pick of Destiny'" as his next film project.
The film debuted at the US Comedy Arts
Festival in Aspen before playing at SXSW in
March of 2005. Roadside Attractions began an
arthouse run of the film in November.
Viewed at a press sneak in Austin at the
Dobie in the Egyptian Room in November of 2005.
Report Card
Script: A-
Acting: A
Cinematography\Lighting: B+
Special Effects\Make Up: A+
Music: A-
Final Grade: A
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