Judd Apatow’s contribution to modern comedy can’t be denied.  He invented the sensitive “bromedy” - whereby penis-obsessed 20- and 30-something males struggle at conquering some charming female while making quippy and filthy jokes along the way.  His directorial debut, The 40 Year Old Virgin, began a revolution in 2005 - and many films since have sought to mimic his new genre.

Apatow followed up with another bromedy, Knocked Up (2007), his strongest and funniest film to date.  And here he returns again with yet another - though this time the story struggles to find its balance between filthy male comedy and a drama about real-world issues.  Unlike Knocked Up, which draws humor out of the scenario, Funny People exists in two parts: the story, and the filthy jokes intended to maintain his usual male audience.  As a result, it’s a choppy film to watch - and doesn’t leave either audience subset satisfied.