Jason goes to SVJFF--Closing Night

The 2016 Jewfest South program ended with a laugh, appropriately titled THE LAST LAUGH. A breezy, funny documentary exploring Jewish comedy and especially the question of "Can the Holocaust be funny?" Tons of material--interviews, film clips, archival footage, etc. attempt to answer the question. I think the answer is, "Maybe? If you're clever enough?" The most striking part is the debate over the film LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. Suddenly all these comedians who are making a case for Nazi jokes hate this movie. But the critic from the Anti-Defamation League loves it and holds it up as an example of the right way to make fun of the Holocaust. I haven't seen it since it came out, and I remember being conflicted about it. Might be time to revisit it and see if it's as bad--or as good--as it seems. In any case, whatever the answer to "Can the Holocause be funny?" is, there's no doubt that THE LAST LAUGH is funny. And thought-provoking.

Running Time: 89 minutes
My Total Minutes: 438,538