Louis C.K.: Hilarious (2010)

Fresh and Exciting

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Louis C.K. has been having a cultural moment for quite a while largely because stand-up comedy has hit a doldrums with audiences souring on Dane Cook and Carlos Mencina and not really bonding well with Kevin Hart. "Louie" gets called "The Comedians' Comedian" more often than contenders such as Marc Maron. While no direct translation exists in regular English, the phrase is roughly the kindest, most polite way to point out that someone is not actually, conventionally, funny. At his best, however, Louie does make you think in the way history's best comedian George Carlin's more heady philosophical moments would make you stop and take note. However, largely Louie spends his time telling scatologically or sexually- themed anecdotes from his life. He has more than made his investment back on his two daughters whose foibles account for much of his material with his physical condition and bedroom habits largely making up the rest. In short, while you won't walk away quoting good lines, you might pick up some interesting insights.

I am not a fan of Louie. I think the show is rather slow, bloated, lifeless, charmless, and utterly pretentious. It doesn't have a consistent pace of any sort, and doesn't really maintain my interest. I think part of its exposure is that Louie does so much of the work in the show, straight to the editing. I don't think any of it is well-deserved. Hilarious by Louie C.K. however, is stand-up art. His routine, which doesn't translate as well on television, works perfectly here as he engages with the audience, shocks the audience, and leaves them consistently laughing throughout the entire movie. There isn't much of a rhythm and flow to Louie C.K.'s comedy unlike that of Gabriel Iglesias and even Kevin Hart. His topics jump from one end of the spectrum to the next, and that is what makes his comedy appealing—the unpredictability of it all. There will be physical humor in the form of an elongated sequence in which he---well, you'll see; and then there will be excellent real-world observations like America's inability to accept that the evolving technology is nothing short of amazing. He observes the real world, talks about his family, and discusses his private life as well. But within these typical stand-up topics you'll get plenty of angry raunchy humor that is inches away from just being purely anarchic. Louis C.K. is a new-age George Carlin, one that uses exaggeratory words, phrases, and statements to make his point—and will not be afraid of an abundance of strong words to help deliver the message. The beauty of Hilarious is that you can step in at any given point in the movie and never truly feel lost. His stage is very simple, the camera work is very simple, and it's just Louis C.K. running the show and absorbing all the attention. Even his wardrobe is extremely simple: t-shirt and jeans. It adds to his comedy—he looks like a simple middle-aged man that can spark interesting topics while throw in some toilet humor just in case you get bored. Louis C.K.'s best comedy mainly and solely comes from his stand-up as opposed to his extracurricular activities----just like Kevin Hart. And Hilarious is easily one of his best works, and never veers you away from the stage. It is pessimistic, crude, rude, exaggerated, and quietly out-of-control. And it works in every possible level. The ultimate joke is that Louis C.K. is a very intelligent man, but he will never pass off as that with his persona, his choice of words, and uncaring attitude. While his show is nowhere near to be decent, you can't argue against his stage presence in the least bit—he is among the best in the business.

Louie ck isn't your everyday comedian. you see that in hilarious. during this performance i thought he seemed off/not himself. maybe he had a lot on his mind. or high/drunk. you get vibes from him that he's winging it and a bunch of times he loses his train of thought or says something like "i am losing my mind". its hilarious how he tries to composes himself. he does not give a crap. his comedy is like therapy. he talks about marriage, children, fatness, ... its cool how he relates comedy to deep issues.... i don't know really what else to say besides anybody who is a Louie ck fan should see this. it truly will knock your socks off whatever the hell that means

Louis C.K.'s latest comedy concert film is Hilarious, the first ever stand-up documentary to be accepted at Sundance. The film is economically produced--C.K. does his own direction and editing--and spends much of its time in a mid shot of C.K.'s face; content is everything here.Whatever its personal implications, C.K.'s recent divorce is a great development for his comedy: it allows him to take his trademark pessimism on dates, to the gym, and even to the club. He pares incredulous contempt for beautiful people with his own healthy self-loathing--but because this is Louis C.K, he absolutely never pities himself. In fact, many of his best barbs are aimed at the entitled and ungrateful among us: among other great jabs, this film contains his now-famous "chair in the sky" airplane routine.Much of his best and most human material is derived from life as a father; he invokes his daughters with a disarming love and respect, while realistically explicating the more disgusting elements of parenthood. This too benefits from his recent divorce, as it serves to alienate him even further from contemporary dating.There is also a fair number of shock laughs, of course--at one point C.K tellingly acknowledges that upsetting people makes him laugh. And that in itself is the great appeal of Louis C.K.'s comedy, that we can bond over the idea that nothing good will ever happen to anyone and then find humor in it. Hilarious is all about finding laughs in pessimism, and it demonstrates what a hilarious performer C.K. is. -TK 9/22/10