Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The Comedian has a damn impressive cast, De Niro, Keitel and Mann. Immediatly I had high hopes, alas they weren't met but the film isn't a complete bust.It tells the story of an ageing comedian on the road to comeback. His foul mouth and controversial style doesn't appeal to everyone and to make matters worse his considerably younger on/off girlfriend is harbouring a secret that will change everything.Everyone is on form and there are laughs to be had but much of the film feels like a structureless art piece and simply doesn't flow.One thing I truly liked was how much I empathised with DeNiro, how much I found myself relating to him and yet hoping that isn't what I have to look forward to in my old age.The Comedian is more a drama with some comedic moments than a comedy, but considering its subject matter it's still head and shoulders over the likes of Funny People (2009).The Good:Cast are greatThe more I see Leslie Mann the more I like herSome funny momentsThe Bad:Weirdly pacedThings I Learnt From This Movie:DeNiro has reinvented himself like no actor before himI hope I never hit an time where I need to go for a number 3

What an embarrassment! Oh, the actors are all really great but their acting really (literally) sucks here. It's not their fault. The director and writers should be flushed down toilets; the toilets they obviously sprang from. Now, to cleanse myself after watching this puke, I must seek out every one of the actor's best movies and watch them all again. Also, I am now dying to check out actual comedy performances by Jessica Kirson whose 15 seconds of screen time was actually very funny. Too bad the truly usually great Robert De Niro didn't learn a thing from her in his preparation for his "comedy" role in this movie. FYI, the ONLY good acting in the film was from Danny DeVito who actually conveyed true emotions throughout. He should receive a special Oscar for rising above this horrid material.

Former TV sitcom star-turned-insult comic in New York City is left without booking prospects after he assaults a heckler at an out-of-town club; he spends 30 days in jail (for contempt of court) and must perform 100 hours of community service at a soup kitchen, where he meets an attractive but stressed-out lady with similar anger management issues. Impeccably cast character-comedy featuring a terrific ensemble supporting star Robert De Niro (doing savvy, acerbic work). Edie Falco is De Niro's humorless manager, Danny DeVito is a welcome sight playing De Niro's brother, Patti LuPone is a hoot as Danny's disgusted wife, Leslie Mann is an appealing love-interest (with a hard shell) and Harvey Keitel as Mann's steely-eyed father has an edgy, amazing scene with De Niro in his restaurant. This world of aging comics, living on their faded glories, is sharply-captured, with all the requisite humiliations intact. The film is a dirty-fingered valentine to show biz, an accurately sour love note to the 'profession' of being a once-was. It isn't pretty...but then, comedy isn't pretty. **1/2 from ****

Jackie Burke (Robert DeNiro) a former TV star tries his hand at Stand-up Comedy and fails for the most part as the audience wants to remember him as that former TV star, but he prevails when some videos go viral and he becomes a shock jock comedian. I looked at this as a slice of life for someone who was once famous for a TV show and then honestly tries his hand at Stand-up. Yes, there is a lot of language in here and sometimes I felt he would embarrass himself, but somehow he gets away with it; and yes, there are some raunchy utterances too. Those videos that go viral get him the attention and jobs he needs to succeed. It all starts when Jackie punches an audience member who was taping and criticizing his act and that scene went viral. See? Since he won't apologize to that member, as part of his sentence for being in contempt of court, he goes to jail for 30 days and later meets love interest Harmony Schiltz (Leslie Mann) at the homeless soup kitchen where he must complete community service.All in all there are plenty of chuckles as well as all the language and raunchy stuff. Many dialogues are honest and often funny without intending to be. Notables: Danny DeVito as Jackie's brother James; Pattie LuPone as Flo married to James; Edie Falco as Miller, Jackie's agent; Harvey Keitel as Mac Schiltz, Harmony's father; Charles Grodin as Dick D'Angelo the Abbot at the Friar's club; Cloris Leachman as May Connor a 95-yrs old movie star who is honored at the Friar's club roast; and Billy Crystal as himself when he meets Jackie in an elevator.One thing about Jackie's Stand-up. He never had any prepared material. It was always off the cuff. So much had happened in his life (those videos) it was only natural he talked about some of those things on stage and it worked. I honestly didn't think DeNiro could pull this off as I thought he bombed in previous comedies I am sorry to say I watched and I was pleasantly surprised in here. But think of it this way: He honestly didn't try to be funny. That was the key to this success. He is acting in a drama and trying to get his character's life back after success in a popular TV show and doing Stand-up is hard, but he knows there is an audience for raunchy humor and he goes for it. And while doing all of this he is given good funny lines at times. (And raunchy lines too) All in all DeNiro does a credible job. (7/10)Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.