Customer Reviews

Sarah Silverman - Jesus is Magic

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

"Jesus is Magic" is one of the funniest films I've ever seen in my life. I laughed almost constantly throughout the whole thing, and so did my friend and everyone else in the small theater I saw it in.

Essentially a concert film, "Jesus is Magic" also features a handful of musical numbers and "mockumentary" style scenes. You could make the argument that the musical numbers really weren't necessary, since Sarah's stand-up is so shockingly, insanely funny. But without the musical numbers, I would have missed out on Sarah singing "You're gonna die soon" to a group of senior citizens in a nursing home, or her holding the microphone up to her different orafices, all of which have different voices.

What I love about Sarah is that her comedy doesn't really seem to have any kind of agenda, other than to make you laugh hysterically as she constantly humiliates every ridiculous thing about our society.

I am a Sarah Siverman fan as she is one of very few comics, especially female, to let it all hang out and see what happens. Her dark humor may be very insulting to those who are easilt offended, but to me the more un-pc that she is, the funnier I find her.

While I did not see this with high expectations as I am not a huge fan of stand-up acts (which is what this piece is at its core), even those werer not fully met. Sarah is cute, funny, and her play on words would have made for a good 20 minute short. Instead we get over an hour of songs, skits, and other filler, to try and give it some air by getting out off the stage. Some stuff works, some works for a while, and some is just not funny.

If you are a fan, rent it and watch it with other Sarah fans, and you'll have on OK time. Now that Margaret Cho has become almost an irrelevant one trick pony, Sarah is one of the few truly funny females around who mixes it up. If anyone saw the 2007 MTV Movie Awards and found her funny, you could do much worse than seeing this as most "comedy" movies are just not very funny. Humor is hard work and Sarah is an impish little marvel who I'd love to see in a more fully realized vehicle.

I happen to think Sarah Silverman is a very talented comedienne, and an eminently entertaining performer. Her deadly serious delivery of the most outrageously offensive material is her trademark. She conveys a certain sweetness and naivete, even as the most horrible things come out of her mouth. She can be provocative, controversial, button-pushing and brilliant. She is super intelligent and her social commentary, couched in very un-PC jokes, can be biting and relevant.

That said, I don't think "Jesus is Magic" is as wholly successful a film as I would have liked. Most of the standup material is good and biting--but be forewarned, it's adult stuff. If this were a concert film, I'd have been more inclined to a 4 or 4 1/2 star rating. Whether or not you think someone is funny is often a matter of personal taste and I like Silverman. There are plenty of other people who have made it huge that I have never thought were very interesting.

The more problematic aspects of this film, for me, is where she ventures into "bits." There are a couple of staged music video type numbers. Now, I love a good musical interlude as much as the next person and I was thrilled when these segments began. However, while there may have been a funny line or hook--the songs ultimately become repetitive and play out as one-note jokes. There also some backstage skits. Again, these provide some minor amusement but don't necessarily enhance the film.

If you're a Silverman fan, obviously you're going to watch this. If you like intelligently offensive comedy, I'd recommend this as well. As a Silverman supporter, I am hoping her next venture will be a little more cohesive. KGHarris, 10/06.

Caught this movie a little while ago. I had to see it because personally i think Sarah is the funnest female comic out there today. She just appeals to everyone, plus she's cute which can't hurt.

Having never seen her live before, I'd only seen clips of her act here and there, so it was great to see a full live act. Her act is great and I love how she makes fun of all the uncomfortable moments her jokes create. The musicial interludes throughout the movie kinda reminded me of an old Dennis Leary special. The music is very different, but equally as fitting and hilarious.

If you haven't seen this film, you must watch it. The finale is reason enough. All I have to say is the three part harmonies are amazing!

The movie is basically a comedy routine generously (and thankfully) interspersed with some sketch comedy. Her pacing is so slow, it's as if she was told that she needed an hour's worth of comedy, but she only had 20 minutes of material. Then, instead of coming up with 40 more minutes, she just slowed down her joke delivery by one-third.

And the jokes aren't even very funny. Most of the laughter from the audience seems to be of the nervous kind. Brash and offensive jokes work when you don't do them ALL THE TIME. That way, the audience is caught off-guard when you go "zag" and the audience is expecting you to "zig". But she relies so heavily on the "I-can't-believe-she-said-that" style, that the audience comes to expect it.

Unbearable.

This is a stand up/movie. It is super funny & very well written.
If you are easily offended, don't be stupid enough to buy it!
me = LOVING IT!

I dont review often, but I had to review this. Sarah Silverman is hilarious in her stand up. If you like racial jokes and think awkwardness is funny, than you should see this. She's awesome. WATCH IT!

I would've given this 5 stars, except Sarah Silverman's songs are horribly unfunny. They're not witty, the tunes are annoying, and there are too many of them. But her stand up itself is amazing. The girl's got wit and guts and her delivery is impeccable. I love her. I just wish she wouldn't sing...

This stand up is absolutely hilarious. If you aren't offended by racial/ethnic jokes, you will love this movie. Sarah Silverman is incredibly funny. Worth every penny.

i cannot endorse another reviewer's wish for a comedy album of sarah's songs. i wasn't sure what to expect from this DVD, but i was eager to try it. however, as soon as the opening menu began, playing her opening "song" as a background, i was instantly terrified that the "brilliant" comedy i was promised by a few trusted friends would not be delivered. luckily, within five minutes or so we the viewer are ushered into a theatre where sarah is giving her live stand-up routine without any bells and whistles. it is here that i was able to enjoy some of the heralded "brilliance" i was told of. i did not enjoy the several "songs" which were interspersed throughout the film at all, but i can attest that sarah's stand-up is a must see for fans of unique and creative stage comedy.

what is so good about the comedy is sarah's cadence and manner, and what is so bad about the songs is that they don't capture either of those things. the songs are more of a twenty-first century wierd-al yankovic kind of half-baked lampoonery. they are not half as interesting as her stand-up work.

sarah's stand-up style works in an odd way. sarah delivers her show in, i believe, "character". at least i really hope it is in character. this "character" is a sort of neurotic, but narcissistic american princess. she is abrasive in the extreme, though in a vigilantly self-conscious way. it works well because much of the "hateful" content is spewed with meta-caveats, sort of unapologetic acknowlegements of her american ignorances. she strikes me as clever in this way, because i feel that "qualifying" predjudices is an unfortuately typical american post-modernism. many educated and privledged people in our country have vicious fears and hatreds, but they have some intellectual artillery and ample physical separation from that which they fear as a first layer of defense. yesterday's predjudices were more of the KKK variety of militant and monomanical proclamations, whereas the current ethos of this country is more one of apathetic and lazy hate.

sarah's comedy seems to skewer right through the heart of this. she is a self centered jewish american princess who isn't afraid of being homophobic and racist because she is both attractive and educated, allowing her easy access to worlds that can nuture her away from that which she isn't compatible with. however at the same time, her "character" is cranky and acidic, an indication that the confusing and ugly world can seap into even a spoiled girl's mind and cause dissonance. sarah handles this and fleshes out her routine by using typically american lingo, lilting voice patterns, and dead-pan eye-rolls and hair tosses.

it is difficult to describe, but it is a complex approach that hits on several levels simultaneously. i think in this way sarah silverman is a great treasure and is offering something unlike what i've seen before. i love american-styled "meta-comedy" such as mr. show (which she is alumnus), and sarah silverman may improve with time and become an even sharper jab into american obliviousness, or she may lose steam. time will tell.

but for now "jesus is magic" is a peek into a powerful american comedy that suffers some by that always ugly head-rearing desire to bust into mediocre song stylings.