Louie (TV Series) Review
Louie, written directed and edited by American comic Louie CK, is about a fictionalized version of himself, a recently divorced stand-up comedian in his forties, with two daughters, living in New York, struggling to find love and happiness. Much like Seinfeld, there are segments in each episode of Louie performing on stage, incorporating the events of each episode into his routine. Something I've noticed online is that people aren't entirely sure how to classify this show, is it a drama, a comedy, an autobiographical piece etc? Well, it’s a comedy, through and through, from start to finish, yes, there are a plethora of other elements beautifully constructed into Louie, it’s about his life, and it can be sad or even depressing at times, it’s one of, if not, the most profound experience I've had watching a comedy, and that is why Louie is so fucking brilliant!
Very similar to comedies like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld, Louie depicts the awkwardness of life, and pokes fun at it with nail bitingly cringe worthy humour. The main difference between Louie and Curb being that Louie has a heart, whereas Curb and Seinfeld focus solely on the comedy, it’s always leading to a joke, the humour in Louie could be leading to an emotional breakdown. We’re watching his deepest and darkest insecurities which really give you a sense of who he is and what he feels, and most of the time, we share his sentiments. If you've ever watched Louie CK doing stand-up, you’ll know that his jokes aren't delivered in the traditional manner, the delivery is that of a man who’s having a breakdown, and it’s very funny to watch. The show follows this formula, and usually when comics try to incorporate their material into a T.V. show, the transition from the stage to the television isn't always pulled of effectively, here however, it’s done perfectly.
Louie is a beautifully written show with fantastic camera work which perfectly reflects the situation or emotion Louie or the characters are going through, it’s very well done! The acting is brilliant all around, but the stand out performances come from Hadley Delany, and Ursula Parker especially, who play Lilly and Jane, Louie’s daughters, the whole cast did a great job, it always feels real, you may however, be taken off guard by some of the more surreal moments, for example, in one scene, Louie is on a date with a woman and attempts to kiss her, so desperate is she to escape this awkward situation that out of nowhere, she jumps into a helicopter, and is flown away, which you could argue isn't that realistic, but it obviously represents the feeling she would have in that moment, which would be very realistic, it’s just a more extreme way to portray that situation, and not to mention, a funnier way, it is a comedy!
Louie is a modern comedy to be enjoyed by old and young alike, it never once seems angry or bitter, it feels like Louie just, ‘gets it’, the generation before him, his own generation and his daughters generation after him, he understands, and if he doesn't, he’s willing to learn about it and accept it anyway. This is the comedy our generation needs, it’s a heartfelt look at society and who we are as people, it’s about growing beyond our differences, and at times it’s just a love letter to the art form of comedy itself. If you haven’t see Louie yet, I strongly suggest you do, especially if you’re a fan of Louie CK, it’s one of the best comedies in recent years , as well as being a lot more than that, so not only will you be hilariously entertained, you might just find something profound to relate to as well.
Louie CK and Robin Williams
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