Judd Apatow, where are you?
2010 was such a lousy year for film comedies that “The Tourist” just picked up a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy/Musical.
“The Tourist” wasn’t even a comedy – unless you count unintentional laughs of which there were plenty. But what else could the selection committee have chosen?
Screen comedy has been on a roll for some time now, what with the Apatow Army working near-nonstop and other films racing to catch up. WWTW will stack up films like “The Hangover,” “Wedding Crashers” and “I Love You, Man” against any comedy from the late 1990s/early 2000s.
This year, “Get Him to the Greek” proved amusing but not worthy of the far superior “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” And “Due Date” with It Comedian Zach Galifianakis was more mean-spirited than riotous.
This year’s other Best Comedy/Musical Golden Globe nominees include a few other head scratchers. “The Kids Are All Right??” Terrific movie, but I don’t recall any pratfalls or verbal gags.
The best movie-related joke this year might be Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie picking up a Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical nomination for “The Tourist.” Depp seemed asleep half the time, and Jolie looked like a fashion model who stumbled in front of a movie camera.
Let’s hope 2011 brings the funny – fast.
(Photo: The 2010 comedy “Due Date” underwhelmed those expecting another laugh riot from star Zach “The Hangover” Galifianakis. Warner Bros.)
Related posts:
on 
on 
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m starting to think that all the good comedy talent is moving to TV. Shows like Chuck, The Big Bang Theory, Archer and Better Off Ted all consistently delivered the laughs last year, but I can’t think of a single movie that did.
I’d put “Hot Tub Time Machine” up against comedies from the late 90’s and early 2000’s as well, Chris.
I disagree with you on this one, Mr. Toto. I hate all the new comedies that have been released recently, especially those by Apatow and or Will Ferrell.
Against any comedy from the late 90’s? There’s Something About Mary? As Good as it Gets? American Pie?
You can disagree all you want … if you call me Mr. Toto!
Come on Mr. Toto, I expected some debate on my reply. You have to reply better than that.
Finally looked at the list and no Dinner for Schmucks, for anything/anyone??? Rudd and Carell were both cookin’, and even Zach Galifrikkafracas as well.
I know Mr. Toto is not a Sandler fan, but while nowhere near as repeat-worthy as Happy Gilmore, Grown-Ups deserved some comedy love, too, especially over The Tourist.
Dinner for Schmucks did bring some big laughs – and def. deserves the Golden Globe nod over “The Tourist.”
Just shows us how inconsequential the GGs really are.
The movie I laughed the most at this year was “Despicable Me”. So animated films aren’t eligible in this category?
Great point, K. I think I revealed my own bias here. I still don’t think the laughs generated by both “Despicable” and “Toy Story 3″ make 2010 a great year, but I should not have left them out.
I thought there were plenty of good comedies, though the Golden Globes painted themselves into a corner by requiring this category to be live-action, thus excluding (for no good reason) TOY STORY 3, DRAGON et al.
Even within the live-action format, there were still several good comedies, though they didn’t tend to play at multiplexes. I graded all these eight films at least a 7.
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP — yes, it’s a documentary, but really more like a prankumentary about art-world hucksterism. One of the most hilariously clueless performances since Nigel Tufnel (only … is he really Tony Clifton)?
JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK — again, a documentary but Joan is such a wisecracking “always-on” dynamo that it manages to be pretty funny just as itself. It’s also a self-revealing portrayal of neediness and fame/love-starvation.
WINNEBAGO MAN — yeah, yeah … Victor the documentary whore. And it’s as much a character sketch as a pure comedy. But it’s about a guy who became famous for being unintentionally funny. And then we meet him — and it’s hard not to laugh some more.
GREENBERG — again, one can debate whether this is only a comedy because it’s seriously self-critical about a kind of indie-film cliche — the wise-cracking asshole. But even if it’s more comedy-of-embarrassment that sticks in the craw, it was a memorably awkward experience.
WILD GRASS — This Alain Resnais movie is nucking futs. A takedown of the Hollywood romcom that starts with its cliches — the meet-cute, the persistence in the face of resistance etc., and pushes it until the characters are behaving like irrational psychopaths and the plot turns into surrealist dada. Not to every taste, I will admit.
MICMACS — Again … French, so subtitlephobes can move on. But really elaborate Le Rube Goldberque schemes, bizarre contraptions and colorful band of misfits taking revenge on outsized meanies
TAMARA DREWE — But Britain is sorta like Hollywood, right? It’s English at least, and it’s the kind of saucy country romp you didn’t English-Class novels actually could be — the chorus of bystanders and mixer kids and celebrity absorption. Plus Gemma Arterton in slut-wear (OK … not comedy, but …)
FOUR LIONS — Easily the year’s funniest film. You’ll know whether this is for you from two words. Jihad. Comedy. As daring in its bad taste as STRANGELOVE, THE PRODUCERS, etc.
(Recurrent theme in what I’ve written — is it maybe that people don’t think films with serious subtexts or undercurrents or surface subject matter can BE comedies?)