Funny Pages is so very inspired by the absurd comedy comics from which it gets it title (think Mad Magazine or old fashioned Tijuana Bibles) that is becomes one itself. All the the characters are exaggerations, often grotesque in some provocative way, and they behave in two dimensional off putting manners. The film is shot like an underground 90s film with a grainy unpolished look. And like those comics Funny Pages never feels quite real while trying to pass along some truths. It sometimes succeeds but other times loses itself in its conceits a little too much.
As the credit roll on Funny Pages I did find myself reflecting on what I just witnessed, just as our hero does, in all its absurd glory. Some of it made me laugh out loud. Other parts made me annoyed, especially in the repetitive nature of much of it. Other parts were disturbing. In truth I felt the same weird mix of emotions one feels when reading that style of satire comic. The good and the bad of it.
Matthew Maher is a standout as the object of our heroes obsession. His character seems tailor made for Maher's style yet he transcends this by bringing a deeply tragic side to his buffoon. I wish other characters were drawn as complexly as Wallace but the film doesn't have time to do that for most. So they remain caricatures like the pages they are based on.
Funny Pages descends into a great deal of sadness as it moves along and a lot of it won't resonate for a lot of the audience. The film is short but never seems to find the path to building into some of the emotions that it is trying to evoke. But for those it does it ends up being rewarding. Funny Pages often feels like a few hits in a bunch of misses. But the hits were strong enough for me to have enjoyed it.
Funny Pages
Starring: Daniel Zolghadri, Matthew Maher, Miles Emanuel, Maria Dizzia, Josh Pais, Marcia Debonis, Michael Townsend Wright, Cleveland Thomas Sr.
Writer/Director: Owen Kline
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