With the Safdie Brothers producing Owen Kline’s directorial debut, comes an offbeat story of teenage nonconformism and artistic yearning.
★★★★✰
Funnies: comical cartoons you would find in newspapers that usually lead to a punchline. They can sometimes represent a little story or simply a playful or even surreal joke. Apply this definition and amalgamate a coming-of-age narrative together, and the result is A24’s newest outing: Funny Pages. This latest dark comedy centres on aspiring cartoonist: Robert (Daniel Zolghadri), who becomes disillusioned with his sheltered suburban upbringing, and gradually succumbs to a misdirected journey of self-actualisation.
Supporting this film is Josh and Benny Safdie in tandem with their production company: Elara Pictures. Its previous works include but are not limited to both critically acclaimed successes: Good Time and Uncut Gems. These two films exhibit an off kilter, often anxiety-inducing and almost filthy ambience in their respective narratives. Whilst this time not in their directing chairs, the Safdie Brothers’ influence is echoed in Owen Kline’s Funny Pages, through the construction of a darkly humorous tale.
Funny Pages exhibits its main focus on the young protagonist: Robert, from the beginning of his aspirations. He is at the cusp of graduating high school with his preferred career choice as a cartoonist. On the contrary, his parents strongly disapprove of his ambitions and implore Robert to go to college and attain a degree for a ‘proper’ job. He actively rejects the normalities of middle-class suburbia in favour of a more free-spirited life. It is at this precise moment where the film reveals itself as a coming-of-age tale, but fundamentally one that directs Robert onto a series of bizarre and painfully awkward misadventures. His quest is both disrupted and advanced by several peculiar personalities he encounters. Robert’s journey and these individuals are significant in channelling the black comedy and blunt raw nature that Funny Pages demonstrates very effectively.
Subtle unpredictability is at the heart of the film’s black comedy. Rather than the humour deriving from quips expressed by characters, the jokes stem from surprising and sometimes painfully awkward situations that Robert stumbles upon. What vitally epitomises the comedy is that the film always leaves the audience speculating how a predicament will end or if it develops into something far worse. On the other hand, as akin to Robert’s free-spirited and rebellious personality, the narrative will present a regular everyday occurrence, for example, Robert talking to his friends at the comic store he works at and twist it into a normal setting but one that hides an off-kilter aura the longer it lingers.
Surreal and almost anti-humorous circumstances are key to establishing the funniest and most unexpected moments in Funny Pages. These are based on social boundaries becoming shattered during Robert’s various escapades in his journey, whether it is his mentor asking him to draw a crude portrait of him or his landlord’s eccentric behaviour. Critically, it is these incidents that aid in shaping Robert’s own coming-of-age arc. This succeeds for the film’s advantage, as there is never a dull moment throughout. It also magnificently pays homage to the formula of the newspaper comics Funny Pages frequently references through these outlandish and almost cartoony interactions.
Whilst eccentricities are the comedic basis, authenticity towards producing these events is how Funny Pages keeps you engrossed. Each situation Robert finds himself in, infuses with a particular ambience that always aims to convey a certain uneasy mood. This is due to how practically nauseating the environments are, for example, Robert’s apartment is constantly scotching hot, dirty, cluttered and accompanies a creepily friendly landlord. Additionally, since this film is shot on 16mm as opposed to the standard digital format, the graininess of the cinematography percolates into the settings to further their raw and gritty nature. Every moment and progression feel filthy and authentic which in succession, allocates opportunities for its odd humour to completely shine and land effectively. Because the tone places the viewer on awkward edge, some of the funniest sequences strike all the more efficiently.
Funny Pages favours an authentic sentiment with a large dose of bluntly dark comedy to emphasise an individual coming-of-age tale through genre subversions and by indulging in a matter-of-fact approach to convey the story. During the course of the action, characters repeatedly deconstruct structures and punchlines of ‘funnies’ that further accentuate Funny Pages by punctuating a consequently ironic series of events. What Robert passionately believes is his destiny drawing ‘funnies’ as a means of a career, merely represents art imitating life. Funny Pages is a special and highly entertaining example of this, which it communicates powerfully.
Verdict
Owen Kline’s directorial debut achieves wonders in its idiosyncratic and hysterical approach in presenting an unusual coming-of-age story. Populated with comically surreal scenarios and personalities, Funny Pages is yet another success from A24 that deserves a wide recognition come to its release.
Words by Ethan Soffe
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