The only time his performance really sparks is a sequence where he and Keitel go after one another. It just doesn't work here and it's really too bad. This here shocked me because I think the actor can do comedy and he's played a comedian before in the masterpiece THE KING OF COMEDY. DeNiro is actually pretty boring in the part and he just wasn't believable as this washed up comic. DeNiro is certainly giving it an A+ effort but there's just no soul or anything to the character. I'm really not sure what the screenplay was trying to do or say but it just doesn't work and the entire film just seems rather pointless. Sadly, DeNiro just isn't very good here and there's no question that he just wasn't right for the role. For the first time in his career I think he's the reason a movie is bad. I will never put someone down for wanting to make money and the actor has appeared in some lousy movies and some others that he was just lending his name to for a check but he always delivered a performance and made those films better. People have given the actor a lot of crap over the past decade or so for his willingness to do any film for a check. This was apparently a dream project for DeNiro who spent several years trying to get it off the ground. I'm not sure how try that is but if so that's a bit harsh because the movie isn't that bad but at the same time it is incredibly disappointing and rather pointless. Can someone explain how a movie director by Taylor Hackford with a cast that includes DeNiro, Mann, Harvey Keitel, Danny DeVito, Charles Grodin, Cloris Leachman and Billy Crystal could turn out so lifeless? I mean, how on Earth can you get such talent in one movie and the end result be so bad? I've heard that the film was booed and had several walk-outs during its premiere in Toronto. After an altercation with a heckler, Jackie finds himself doing community service where he meets a young woman (Leslie Mann) and soon them two kick it off as the comedian finds more and more going wrong in his life. The Comedian (2016) ** (out of 4) Former TV star Jackie Burke (Robert DeNiro) is now performing in small and useless clubs where his profane and offensive act really isn't going over any more. The Good: Cast are great The more I see Leslie Mann the more I like her Some funny moments The Bad: Weirdly paced Things I Learnt From This Movie: DeNiro has reinvented himself like no actor before him I hope I never hit an time where I need to go for a number 3 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). 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. 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. 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. It tells the story of an ageing comedian on the road to comeback. Immediatly I had high hopes, alas they weren't met but the film isn't a complete bust. The Comedian has a damn impressive cast, De Niro, Keitel and Mann.
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