It’s no secret that the vast majority of comedians have a dark side. Comedy comes from embracing it and exploiting what lurks in the shadows for a laugh. I would venture to guess that it’s only until one becomes famous, do they ever consider getting therapy so as to enjoy the success. In Nick Snowden and Ryan Penington’s Funny Fat Guy, they explore the downward spiral of a comedian, who just can’t get his s**t together.
Charlie (Sandy Danto) is a struggling stand-up whose comedy career has stalled. His fellow comedians have all moved on to bigger and better opportunities, leaving Charlie behind. He’s been grinding his stale routine at the Ha-Ha Hole for longer than he should and gloms onto the success of his friends.
“His fellow comedians all moved on to bigger and better opportunities, leaving Charlie behind.”
His sad-sack life isn’t much better. Charlie’s a substitute teacher, which does not engage him much, and he must endure the abuse and neglect of his parents. While trying to date a server at the comedy club, we discover that Charlie has a great sense of humor, but the self-destructive pattern of an insult comic. His only refuge is coke and booze—cocaine “coke” and booze “booze.”
Funny Fat Guy is one of those stories with great potential, but you have to work hard to get to it in the end. First, the movie is a low-budget indie film (which Film Threat loves to support). It looks like it was most probably shot on cellphones or inexpensive digital cameras, and we don’t penalize films for that. It’s hard making any movie, and money is not that easy to get.
We’re also not going to penalize its production values. It’s shot in simple apartment locations with a makeshift comedy club and bar. The acting is OK as the filmmaker probably got his friends to help. Again, there’s nothing wrong with this, and the only reason I mention it is to set expectations. Funny Fat Guy is an ultra-low-budget indie.
"…His toxicity begins compounding his reaction to his misfortune and the success of his closest friends..."
