The King Of Comedy Reviews

An undervalued gem from Martin Scorsese

A flop on it's original release and often described as a Scorsese misfire 'The King of Comedy' is in fact one of this great director's finest films.

Robert De Niro gives one of his best performances as Rupert Pupkin, a pathetic character who believes he has what it takes to be a major star as a stand-up comedian. Just like his idol Jerry Langford(Jerry Lewis) in fact. One night Rupert corners Jerry and tries to persuade him to give him a spot on the show. Jerry fobs him off with some words of encouragement, anything to get rid of this pest. But Rupert sees this as an invite and when Jerry fails to return his frequent phone calls, he decides kidnapping is his only option.

'The King of Comedy' is a remarkable film which is both hilarious and unsettling(often at the same time). Martin Scorsese directs this unusual black comedy with panache, handling the frequent shifts in tone expertly. De Niro is on wonderful form in one of his most memorable roles but the real stand-out is Jerry Lewis who plays it dead straight and gives a suprisingly effective performance as the jaded chat-show host. Sandra Bernhard is also excellent as Pupkin's seriously unbalanced partner-in-crime.

'The King of Comedy' is probably more relevant now than ever and stands as a film ahead of it's time. With it's incisive analysis of the public's obsession with the cult of celebrity it's a lost masterpiece that deserves to be rediscovered.

The king, pure and simple

The king of comedy is the most overlooked film in history. It is a true classic that deserves to be in everyone's top ten. It completley bombed on its release and is known only by a very small percentage of the cinema going public. This is a travesty. I find it mind-boggling that something of this calibre can fail to be hailed as anything less than phenomenal.

Scorcese and De Niro took Paul Zimmerman's script and transformed it into the ultimate comment on the media, celebrity and the public's total obsession with fame and the famous. It is frighteningly prophetic as it predicts what has now consumed our society; the sales of heat magazine are enough of an indication to prove how accurate the king of comedy's slant was. De Niro, Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhardt all turn in mesmeric performances, fueled by playing such highly detailed and believable characters. Rupert Pupkin is one of the great cinematic creations of all time but like the character in the film, sadly overlooked by an ambivalent society.

"The King.." deserves its rightful place on the throne. Long live the king!

..the god father of the awkward comedy..

Put it this way, I personally don't think 'The Office' wouldn't have been created without this... I think people sometimes get confused with the period this film comes from (early eighties) and the contemporary style of it's comedy.. the first time I saw this I really didn't know whether to laugh or cry, it's like you don't even want to be in the same room and this poor bloke.. DeNero has never been a comedy hero of mine (no, not even 'Midnight Run') but his persona suits this perfectly.. excellent..

aaaagh!

De Niro and Scorsese, you can't go wrong. The only way it didn't get 5 stars is because it's so damn uncomfortable to watch. De Niro is thoroughly convincing as a looney and Jerry Lewis is outstanding as (so I'm told) a pretty similar role to his actual persona, particularly the bit where he get's up out of the chair he's been tied to and slaps masha. I liked this film an awful lot

Was not expecting this film to be THIS good! Runs like a 1982 version of the Office at times, so cringeworthy is the character (once again) so brilliantly played by Rob De Niro - Rupert Pupkin, and his partner in obsessiveness Masha (Sandra Bernhard is amazing here).

Packed with humour and loaded with a strong message about the dangerof celebrity, The King Of Comedy will not disappoint, right down to the last punchline.

Was that the Clash?

Of all the great Scorsese/De Niro collabarations, this one, perplexingly, seems to be the most overlooked; it's up their with both men's finest work.

De Niro is spellbinding as Rupert Pumpkin, the delusional comic with the yearning for the big time. (In many ways this was as challenging a role as Jake La Motta.) Jerry Lewis and, amazingly, Sandra Bernhard are also very convincing. Snappy (to say the least) dialogue and a taut plot are all brilliantly handled by a top-of-his-game Scorsese. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Certainly Martin Scorsese doesn't.

De Niro is the "King"

Scorsese regards this as De Niro's finest performance in their 8 collaborations together, I wouldn't personally agree with this, although it does rank in my top 5 De Niro performances of all time.

De Niro is Rupert Pupkin, a fame obsessed fan who will stop at nothing until he achieves his dream. The scene when Pupkin and Masha are arguing on the streets of New York almost defies belief, it's acting of the highest quality.

Better than Goodfellas!

I really do believe this film is not given enough credit.

To see Rober De Niro playing a psychotic geek is worth the accolade alone. He is a brilliant actor and seems almost in his element in this role as Rupert Pupkin a wanna-be comic. He will go to any lengths to realize his dream.

A black comedy which will make you laugh and horrify you.

Black, very black

In my opinion one of DeNiros finest performances, the on screen chemistry between him and Jerry Lewis (the comic not the musician) is magic... so much so that one is left wondering why Lewis's career never eclipsed the dizzy hights of his 50s and early 60s comedy flicks. Playing the straight man comes second nature to Lewis, who was perfectly, if boldly cast into this role.

As in Taxi driver, the viewer can see the workings of a deranged mind, as DeNiro goes from over zelous fan, to manic stalker. This film will leave you cringing.

Interesting take on celebrity

Scorsese shrewdly tackles the subject of celebrity worship decades before it became a current phenomenon.

De Niro plays the stuggling comedian Rupert Pupkin who has a developed a fixation for the talkshow host Jerry Langford (played by Jerry Lewis). As the film progresses we see Pupkin's fanatacism increase to excrutiating to watch levels with poor Jerry being kidnapped.

What I like about this film is the way it has been shot, the colours are bold and the camera angles interesting.

It's worth seeing if you wish to see Scorsese doing something against type.