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Crying With Laughter (2010)

Director: Justin Molotnikov

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From Time Out London

Building a drama around a stand-up comedian is a risky prospect: there’s always a chance the audience is going to want more of the comedy and less of the soul searching and self-loathing that goes with the job. And they don’t come more redemption-ready than Scots shock comic Joey Frisk (Stephen McCole, pictured), who might be successful if his coke habit, six-year-old daughter and creepy old schoolfriend and stalker Frank (Malcolm Shields) weren’t all getting in the way. First time writer-director Justin Molotnikov sets himself a challenge, juggling a painfully intimate pitch-black character study with a gloomy, claustrophobic genre thriller. It doesn’t all work – the digital photography is bland and the more melodramatic aspects of the plot are unwieldy. But ‘Crying with Laughter’ is an impressive low-budget debut. It builds on McCole’s seedy central performance to create a believable and sympathetic portrait of a bitter, beaten man finding his way back to the world.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 2069 15-21 April, 2010

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User reviews of this film

Suzy said...

Posted on Jun 09 2010 19:32 I enjoyed this gritty drama, told in a series of flashbacks whilst the main character is performing his stand up routine on stage. Whilst it's clearly a low budget, realistic film that didn't get in the way of my enjoyment. There were enough plot twists and turns to keep me guessing and the jokes move it along nicely. I found I could easily empathise with the central character who was trying to do his best for his family, even though my life is nothing like his. Any film where you don't guess what happens next has to deserve some credit and if you want to support local film talent, make sure you see this film.

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