Phunny Business: A Black Comedy -- Film Review

The shared proving ground for a generation of great black comic entertainers is giddily illuminated in Phunny Business: A Black Comedy, a fast-talking, sharp-witted documentary about a black-owned Chicago comedy club of the 1990s. Generous archival video footage provides fantastic early evidence of the talents of a dazzling group of future stars: Jamie Foxx, Bernie Mac, Mo'Nique, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve James, Dave Chappelle, Mike Epps, Michael Winslow and many other less known but equally funny performers make this peak into one aspect of contemporary comedy's roots a pure pleasure. Although best enjoyed in a packed theater where the laughter is contagious and the sense of community palpable, this success story with a melancholy undercurrent will likely find its natural home on cable and home formats.