Funny Pages (2022) User Reviews

bitingly funny? not so much.

[cdcrb · 6/10 · 27 August 2022]

A young man with artistic dreams goes off on his own to find success in the comic book world. His adventure hits many bumps in the road and doesn't end well.

His blind ambition falls short. Dan zolghadri and matthew maher are very good. There is a certain creepiness underlying the whole thing. It's not easy to pinpoint but its there. I don't know what owen kline had in mind. It's not a movie for everyone, for sure.

Imdb keeps telling me i need 600 characters to complete my review but that's new to me. Anyway i have over 600 characters and its still not accepting my review. What gives? It says gibberish will not be published. My review is short because that's all i want to say about an 86 min movie.

Far-fetched fun

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 17 September 2022]

Daniel Zolghadri ("Robert") is really quite good in this short drama. He is a budding cartoonist who is arrested breaking into the home of his recently deceased and inspirational art teacher. That all goes away, but the public defender who represented him takes a bit of a shine to his refreshingly candid style of drawing, and that is where he is introduced to another of her clients "Wallace" (Matthew Maher). Here is an interesting fellow. Eccentric to say the least, it transpires that he once worked on comic-book illustrations and so the young man determines to befriend and learn from this man. To be honest, some of the scenarios are a bit far fetched - especially the ones in the pharmacy and in his parents bathroom at Christmas, but for the most part this is an engagingly entertaining mix of the eclectic and the aspirational as seen through the eyes of a seventeen year old man. The production is pretty basic, but at times it is funny. Not laugh out loud, no - but in an observational way that might resonate with many a parent dealing with a teenage child who has all of the answers (but few of the questions). His basement flatmates "Barry" (Michael Townsend Wright) and his rather curious pal "Steven" (Cleveland Thomas Jr) add a quirky element to the already rather surreal plot that meanders all over the place before an ending that is both horrific and funny at the same time as his acne-ridden best mate "Miles" (Miles Emanuel) discovers a new use for a pen-nib! Will he find his soul? Well I'd recommend you watch and find out - it's well worth ninety minutes of your time.

Beautiful grotesqueries and blood-curdling shrieks; I like it

[TheVictoriousV · 7/10 · 1 October 2022]

The grungy "idiosyncratic indie movement" (as one critic called the movement of "new Harmony Korines" that explore the most pitiful lifeforms of America's underbelly), which includes the likes of Sean Baker and the Safdie brothers, now has a new member in the form of Owen Kline and his impressive debut Funny Pages.

It stars Daniel Zolghadri (Tales from the Loop) as Robert, a young man who aspires to be an artist -- specifically, a comic strip artist. It doesn't take place in some past golden age of Sunday funnies, yet it feels like it; much like Spencer and Compartment No. 6, the film is presented through a grainy image that makes it feel remarkably "90s".

I do relate to growing up on the funnies: while others flipped through Spider-Man comics, I read Dilbert, Get Fuzzy, Pearls Before Swine, Bloom County, The Far Side, and whatever else appeared in the Gary Larson magazines my father used to collect. (My grandmother also used to cut out the funnies of our local newspaper, which included the likes of Beetle Bailey and Zits, and staple them together into little books for me and my cousins to read.)

Of course, Robert is more into the R. Crumb stuff. His is a world of Tijuana Bibles and nauseating caricatures, and this includes the people he encounters in real life (who are among the most beautifully grotesque figures in the A24 pantheon).

Also, it contains one of the most blood-curdling screams I've ever heard in cinema and it's not even a horror film. Flanagan, eat your heart out.

As A Dark Comedy, It Works

[TheAnimalMother · 7/10 · 22 April 2023]

Funny Pages is the feature film directorial debut of Owen Kline, son of Hollywood royalty, Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates. The film is somewhat unique for sure, though I definitely don't see it appealing to nearly everyone. Nonetheless, at the very least, this debut does really show signs of great potential for this young director with talented roots. There really are some great things about this film. I'm already looking forward to his next projects. I certainly encourage all true film lovers to at least check this out.

I'm not sure I feel that this is a coming of age story really, as many seem to say it is. Only slightly. To me, it was basically a dark comedy all the way, and as such, it actually finally ends up working quite well by the end. Though I'd say it does take a while before the film has enough, to really say that it's a good film. I found some of the film fairly dull, definitely, as much of the more intricate aspects of the main character I found pretty uninteresting. Yet at the same time, this aspect and depth actually sets the character and film up for what to me really was a pretty hilarious ending, or the climax just before the ending, anyhow. All in all, I have to say the film is somewhat brilliant, but also extremely off beat and darkly comedic for certain. But laugh out loud dark comedy in at least a couple spots. Near the very end of the film, I literally had a hard time stopping my laughter.

This will divide audiences, but most critics appreciated it, and quite a few loved it. This is certainly not for overly sensitive viewers. I couldn't watch this film many times, but I could see myself enjoying it again in a few years for sure, and I think that it's the kind of film I may appreciate even a little more the 2nd time. However, as said, it's not the kind of film I'd watch many times, or again anytime too soon. I think a good rest, and then a re-watch will do it best. That's just the kind of film it is to me.

I must say I really don't fully agree with the plot summary here on IMDb. For me the plot is more like this...

A somewhat confused, young and creative comic book fan and amateur artist, decides to get close to an odd and overreactive man, that once worked for a comic book production company.

From this point of view, the film is a pretty good dark comedy. From the point of view of the main character coming of age and finding or searching for soul, is really not what I see here. Nor does the film work all that well in this regard. There really isn't much soul in the film at all, other than to laugh at the ridiculousness that life can throw at people, and/or to laugh at the oddness of human life.

Although it took a while before I appreciated the film much, it really did leave me smiling, and acknowledging that it certainly has its own unique charm. That charm however is not exactly warm, but rather a somewhat darkly funny, but also quite relatable to real life kind of charm. The characters here do feel quite real, as funny as they sometimes are. To me, that really helped the film come together and work in the end.

7.5/10.

You can always visit

[DominosthroughAgrate · 9 April 2023]

In the early 2000's when I was the same age as the protagonist in the film, the world of underground comic books was a universe I loved dipping my toes into. The grot, the beauty and the ugliness of Weirdo magazine and Bagge, Clowes, Pekar and Crumb. It's an enchanting scene, full of strange curmudgeons, men who smell and collect jazz records. I used to love going to a now defunct "comic-mart" convention, marvelling at the stench of body odour, the lack of civility and obsessed desperation of the men that permeated these events, despite being the privileged youth who went back home afterwards to a clean, household of love and affection. To say this film resonated with me is an understatement.

At times hilarious and ridiculously niche, a really interesting little film that makes me excited to see what Owen will create next.

Almost a masterpiece

[Hazu29 · 6/10 · 10 September 2022]

I know there's some romantic / magic deep meaning with the ending, but I think if they made another type of ending, this movie would be much better.

For me that's just what lacked, a proper ending, more development between the characters, a next chapter, a continuation... A moral ending, or not, but we needed to get something in the end. But unfortunately, nothing really happens... And with that I just can't give a higher rating... But I really enjoyed the rest of the movie, amazing acting, great writing. I love the 90s vibe, very well done. And yeah, I love comics too.

The scenes with Barry are hilarious by the way.

Fans of Gummo, comic books, and strange nostalgia will love this.

[stylss · 7/10 · 27 August 2022]

Gritty, bizarre, grimy, lo-fi, ugly, funny, cringeworthy, crude, nerdy, bleak, unsettling, undercooked, unpredictable, and uncompromising.

Fans of Gummo, comic books, and strange nostalgia will love this.

Copy/Pasted: Gritty, bizarre, grimy, lo-fi, ugly, funny, cringeworthy, crude, nerdy, bleak, unsettling, undercooked, unpredictable, and uncompromising.

Fans of Gummo, comic books, and strange nostalgia will love this.

Gritty, bizarre, grimy, lo-fi, ugly, funny, cringeworthy, crude, nerdy, bleak, unsettling, undercooked, unpredictable, and uncompromising.

Fans of Gummo, comic books, and strange nostalgia will love this.

A bizarre movie. Full of weird events but somehow feels empty.

[jay-1995 · 4/10 · 3 January 2023]

Look, I can appreciate a bizarre movie. It's weirdness is why I give it the initial 4 stars, but there's not much else I enjoyed about it.

I'm not sure how this movie is considered a comedy, unless you describe it as "less funny haha, more funny peculiar". I'm not sure what anyone could have laughed at here, as it felt like no jokes were made.

We meet a cast of strange characters (or caricatures), but no one seems to make any sense at all. And that's fine, some of the characters are intended to be "unhinged", but even the main character, his parents, and his friend's decisions seem devoid of logic. It's like a slice of life story, except with a boy constantly finding himself in weird situations that he just kind of loafs around in.

The "climax" felt unsurprising (though visually disconcerting). The ending felt like they just got bored filming. Ultimately I don't feel like I gained anything besides a sense of "huh, that was weird and made me a little uncomfortable".

I guess I should have known what to expect after the first 10 minutes.

The Beauty of The Bizarre

[sugargliderguy · 10/10 · 30 August 2022]

This is the most wholesome film I've seen in a while. It's Napoleon Dynamite meets Silver Linings. There are so many heartfelt moments while also being light-hearted. Being someone who has always understood the art of comics from a young child, this hits close. In addition, the casting (Like all A24 films) was absolutely brilliant. I felt a deep connection yet a envious feeling with the protagonist. Innocence in someone brings love to them, but also protection and fear instilling. I found the entire film intriguing. I understand that not everyone will enjoy or understand this film. It is for a specific audience that can find the whole in a strange scenario. It takes an open mind and a loving heart. Which ironically, is what the film teaches it's audience. If one has the patience to finish it. I say it's well worth the time.

Not laugh out loud funny, but kinda amusing. Lacking spark and punch though...

[imseeg · 6/10 · 28 August 2022]

A coming of age story about a rebellious teenager who hates his parents for wanting him to go to college and be serious about his studies, when all he wants is draw cartoons and become an artist.

A lot of nerds. A lot of whining parents. And a lot of frustration suffered by teenagers. We have seen it all before. Is it any good?

The good; I must say that this is an honest movie with true to life characters. It'll do as a nice coming of age portrait, BUT...

The bad: this is not a new teenager classic, because it is lacking spark and punch and the actor's aint particularly great.

Not bad, not great either....

Owen Kline on ugliness

[aarongregoryj · 2/10 · 28 August 2022]

Funny Pages is a movie about repulsive losers by first time writer director Owen Kline. A tourist in the world of comics collectors and trash ephemera enthusiasts, Kline noticeably cribs the template for his cast of characters from Terry Zwigoff's films Crumb (1994) and Art School Confidential (2006). This wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that Kline possesses none of Zwigoff's affinity for societal misfits. Zwigoff knows his subjects intimately and empathizes with their struggles and their sadness, where Kline can only identify what is weird and disgusting about them.

Owen Kline is the son of actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates, two of the most beautiful people alive, and with his background of extraordinary privilege and wealth it seems a strange choice to make a film about poor struggling outcasts, the likes of which he would be unlikely to cross paths with in his world. Funny Pages' inhabitants are never allowed to be anything other than nauseating caricatures of their specific class, which is unfortunate because there isn't a bad performance in the movie, this being especially true in the case of Matthew Maher who is fantastic in his role.

Just rolls

[chrislawuk · 8/10 · 25 October 2022]

Its like one of those genuine movies which just rolls along naturally and makes you laugh. Daniel Zolghadri & Matthew Maher performances were very good. Its a Indie flick and A24 just keeps knocking them out. Its a label that can almost guarantee a decent flick. They make movies which don't feel like studio movies, which is important in this day and age with cinema struggling, and things like netflix dominance. Theres a movie I cant remember name of moment, but was of a similiar theme came out a few years a go. Its in the style of Robert Crumb anyway, and people who enjoy this may enjoy Crumb (1994)

The Psychopathology of People

[rhondasolomon · 7/10 · 1 January 2023]

Received as a voting member of Film Independent. The film is quite far fetched but watchable. The theme is regarding a high school boy who had a dream of being a cartoonist, not yet mature enough to understand that high school is essential. It takes place in Princeton, with the unspoken understanding that perhaps one or both of his parents are professors st Princeton who value education. Even his grandfather is a learned man, who watches CSPAN. Robert, the teenager, drops out of high school moves on his own, and tries to forge through on perfecting his craft. He meets a psychologically damaged man who worked for a well-known comic manufacturer as an Assistant Colorist. The film brings them together. Although it just ends once they were for an art lesson. The ending makes minimal sense and leaves this viewer wondering what? Enjoyed film and the characterizations but felt empty at the conclusion.

What was even the point of this movie?

[fciocca · 3/10 · 3 November 2022]

"Funny Pages" is a movie about a boy that decides to leave school, in order to chase his dream to become a professional comic book artist. The trailer is very misleading: I thought that this was going to be some sort of coming of age comedy, with a nice plot. Nothing really happens in one hour and a half: there is no character development, no story evolution and no interesting or useful messages. Some scenes are just messy and poorly directed and the story does not make any sense. The ending is so disruptive and I wondered what was even the point of this film. I could not empathize with the protagonist that for the whole time was just behaving like a spoiled brat, I really hated him. Acting was sloppy, not even Josh Pais, who took part in important projects such as "The Joker ", could not save this mess. Out of this experience, I just understood that the director deeply hates the world of comics. He painted all the fans of this media like losers that do not have any ambition in life. I don't know the comic book industry well, but I am pretty sure that there are many talented and successful artists that have brilliant careers. This stereotypification of the nerd culture is old and pretty annoying. There is not one single person that is normal in this film, they are all social misfits.

I appreciate the fact that A24 is giving the chance to beginner directors to show their work to the world, but I think that there should be a better quality check when they decide to distribute something, because honestly it is becoming harder and harder to justify these awful releases.

The indie-est of indies

[Groverdox · 7/10 · 5 January 2023]

"Funny Pages" is the indie-est of indies. It kind of made me think of "Clerks" as shot by John Cassavetes. And "Kids" without the confrontational aspect.

Indeed, "Funny Pages" is so gritty and realistically shot that it feels like a documentary. You feel like a fly on the wall following its characters around. The performances are all natural, though some of the behaviour of its characters reveals its comedic aspirations.

The plot is also very small. It's about a kid who is an aspiring cartoonist who meets a guy who may or may not have worked at Image comics.

The movie is so realistic that that guy just seems like another unfortunate weirdo with uncharismatic traits, like some of the other characters, ie. The protagonist's friend with the acne and glasses and bad hair, and the fat guy who inexplicably got naked in front of the protag at the beginning of the movie.

In a Hollywood type flick, a character with importance to the main character would be differentiated from the rest somehow. His introduction would probably be climactic, he would be shot differently from the rest of the characters, they'd probably get a noted actor to play him. Think John Cusack in "Adultworld", or Willem Dafoe in "The Fault in Our Stars".

In real life, however, he'd just seem like an ordinary guy, and there'd be no reason to suspect he'd be more important to you than any other random person.

"Funny Pages" goes for the more realistic option here, as with everything else. The would-be mentor character is even quite annoying. They chose an actor with a prominent lisp, perhaps owing to the cleft palate he was apparently born with.

The movie is very realistic, and interesting by turns, but it's never really funny, and nor did I care that much about it.

Everything fits so well

[elisavbizau · 7/10 · 4 January 2024]

There's nothing in this movie that is out of place. Every dark joke, awkward interaction or creepy encounter makes sense. You feel all the characters alive. None of them feel as if they're following a script, but rather just expressing themselves in a given situation.

There's many points where you might think that nowadays nobody would behave like that or say things like that and you would be right. This is the era before the internet, before all the phones and the politically correctness - an unhinged world but still in the limits of love and passion.

Loved every bit of it. What I learned from this movie is that if you have a passion, you should be as bold as possible and make it happen.

Also, I love how Mitchell really isn't the bad guy in all of this hahaha. It's just so so so amazing how they were able to portray such an amazing thing.

Potential wasted by a poor script

[foxtografo · 4/10 · 6 October 2022]

I totally appreciate the bizarre vibe and humour.

I was chuckling every time a new character appeared (nothing worth a loud laugh though..).

Unfortunately, besides a couple good scenes, there's nothing else than a collection of really freaky looking and acting people, that don't have much to do throughout the movie.

The beginning makes the viewer think that the main character will be fighting hard to get what he wants, which is very clear, but he only goes around not doing much to achieve his goal, chasing an absolutely obnoxious character who never get what he deserves.

The ending is so bland and anticlimactic that I couldn't help but feeling that this was a complete waste of a chance as a movie.

The cinematography adds to the retro vibe, but it's nothing new and it doesn't help to redeem the lack of an actual story.

There are a few interesting scenes, but the weirdness of characters push too much to the side of boredom more than entertaining, funny awkwardness.

Wouldn't recommend it.

A Very Different Coming of Age Film

[loganschainker · 8/10 · 27 December 2022]

Funny Pages is an authentic look at how teenagers pursue their dreams. When we are young, we often believe that we have to know what our purpose is. This film represents how self-destructive we are at this stage of life when trying to fulfill our deepest desires. Though many will find this film pointless, it is a subtle, uniquely directed and layered film. I loved the cinematography, they did a great job at making it look like a film from the 70s. I highly recommend Funny Pages, it's a realistic and thoughtful portrayal of an early life crisis. Which is very relatable to what I am currently going through.

How Did This Ever Get Green-lighted?

[brentsbulletinboard · 1/10 · 15 December 2022]

If ever there were a film that would leave you scratching your head in bewilderment, this is it. Writer-director Owen Kline's debut feature is an utterly pointless, aimlessly wandering piece of cinematic trash that serves no purpose and has no redeeming artistic value (which, technically, could qualify it as porn, though, in this case, without the sex). Billed as a comedy (quite a stretch if there ever were one), this coming of age story about an aspiring prodigal underground cartoonist has little to do with coming of age or cartoons. Instead, it runs through an endless list of episodic incidents involving the protagonist and an unhinged mentor, most of which veer off into a series of unrelated, disjointed tangents characterized by voluminous amounts of yelling, violence, property damage, insults and random interactions with quirky supporting players. It seems like the filmmaker is going for some sort of ultra-edgy humor and allegedly insightful sociological statements here, but the wayward route taken to attempt to achieve those supposed objectives amounts to little more than off-putting, unbridled repulsion. Indeed, how this unmitigated garbage got green-lighted is truly beyond me. What's even more startling, though, are the accolades it has received, including nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards competition and the Cannes Film Festival, as well as a win from the National Board of Review. This is one of those movies that genuinely leaves me wondering "What were they thinking?" when it comes to those who dreamed up the idea for this mess, those who were willing to bankroll it and those who have gone on to lavish it with wholly undeserved praise. By all means, pass this one up - and give it a wide berth at that.

cool

[ivanriskin · 9/10 · 30 August 2022]

Really liked this film, good acting, good story, funny and tragic.

Fans of Peter Bagge, Jhonny Ryan will be delighted.

And that's all, i don't feel like saying much more.

(sry i need 600 c)

Really liked this film, good acting, good story, funny and tragic.

Fans of Peter Bagge, Jhonny Ryan will be delighted.

And that's all, i don't feel like saying much more.

Really liked this film, good acting, good story, funny and tragic.

Fans of Peter Bagge, Jhonny Ryan will be delighted.

And that's all, i don't feel like saying much more.

Really liked this film, good acting, good story, funny and tragic.

Fans of Peter Bagge, Jhonny Ryan will be delighted.

And that's all, i don't feel like saying much more.

Funny Pages???...Where?...

[phildeesnow · 1/10 · 6 January 2023]

We start with some awkward nude in a somehow uncomfortable situation.

That said, it wasn't me the only who felt weird, all of sudden both characters acted so guilty, that i kept wondering if it was something wrong going on.

And yes it was...Yes...THE MOVIE!.

It tried to have the feeling of the early John Waters, but that was late 70's and present time is 2023, and even back then the sexual energy, and daring intensity made a coming of age story something worthy to remember. This one doesn't. It's not nostalgia that you'll, but the memories of everything gross that might have happened to you in your teens.

Those who copy go behind. This one tried to be one of those great movies made on a shoe string budget, but at least those had an idea what their goal was.

If their goal here was to repulse, then they succeeded.

No redeeming qualities

[payzillee · 2/10 · 4 October 2022]

I think IMDB requires a new genre to tag films with. This genre of this one is 'comedy' but I think we need a new genre called 'American comedy'. At least if it was tagged as 'American comedy', I would know it is not in the least bit funny before I start watching.

The first 5 minutes of this film was fine but throughout the rest of the runtime of this film I was waiting for something/anything to like. It never arrived. The story is awful. The characters are utterly unlikeable and caricatures. The laughs are non-existent. A film to avoid. Another recommendation by my favourite film magazine/podcast gone awry.

Wonderfully devastating

[axapvov · 8/10 · 7 May 2023]

I remember films like American Splendor disappointing me because they had little to say about comics. THIS is what I wanted, an intelligent look at both the art and reality of industry, and even the world itself. When done this well, the message works for any other form of craftsmanship, I don't particularily care about the specifics. It's the struggle, the grind, the muses... as a moderate Peter Bagge fan I appreciate the aesthetics, but it goes beyond that, into very fascinating territory. It reaches depths that can't easily be expressed with words, and so the film is elusive, even a bit puzzling sometimes, because it's having a go at the very core of what an artist is, yet it remains funny in its most heartbreaking moments.

It is ruthless with the naivety of the young aspiring artist, merciless but never mean. It also strikes surprisingly hard blows at the determination of genuine talent; some might say the film gets a bit pessimistic, but I think it's very real, life determined by chance and opportunities. There are dilemmas between originality and pragmatism, expectations and the actual perception of funny drawings. There is self-assertion, rule-breaking, soul-sacrificing, obssession, failures... It's a very good film and it bids farewell to the audience with sweetness and dark humour.

Wasted Pages

[pinchemayko-96893 · 5/10 · 30 July 2023]

I have NOT seen a worst movie since "throw Mama from the train" .... And don't get me wrong, I loved that DeVito performance... but it takes a lot of "dark humor" to conquer a laugh in this so called comedy. It will takes years from now to really understand its potential... BUT don't believe me! See it ... if you can stand it...! Only I was on a 11 hour flight and I had seen all the other movies so I said : "let's give it a try"... after 15 minutes instead of turning it OFF ... I tought ... 15 more minutes let's try some more IF we t gets better; and I Does! But after a while it Ends, just like that...

Best Film I've Seen In Ages

[hokeybutt-185-505448 · 8/10 · 13 March 2024]

Maybe I'm overselling a bit here because of all the negative reviews I've seen here but I thought this bizarre little flick was amazing. It starts off on a bizarre, off-kilter note and manages to maintain the charmingly weird vibe right to the end.

The movie take place in the nutty world of indy comic books with people like Peter Bagge (who designed the opening title font (yes, I noticed right off) and Chester Brown (who one oddball character seemed to resemble) the reigning champs of cartoon brilliance. The movie does seem a little out of step with modern times (do comics like that even exist anymore?) but the screenplay is completely convincing in its detail.

The film has sort of a GHOST WORLD vibe. There are similarities, too, with the CRUMB documentary. Writer/director. Owen Kline knows his stuff! The oddball characters that keep showing up are distinctive, vibrant and totally convincing. The standout performance is by Matthew Maher as an intermittently violent ex-Image colorist who is embarassed about his past.

The only real flaw in the movie is the weak ending. I'm willing to forgive it because of how completely I became immersed in this detailed and original world. Here's hoping Kline gets to make many more movies. I'm really hoping for a sequel, dare I say trilogy? A great antidote for all the current comic crap in movies.