On the face of it this is a drama about a few slackers hoping to make it big in stand-up comedy...but peel away the top layers and you will find a richness in narrative, visual gags, black comedy, absurdity and ambiguity eg with some of the more emotional scenes I didn't really know whether the characters were crying with laughter or despair (like Andy Kaufman and the bongos). There are also some scenes where nothing seems to happen and if you find that's the case then you've missed something. Fine performances from the leads, and even though I watched this eight years after release I am glad I have come across the actors involved.