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DVD Review: JIM JEFFERIES: I SWEAR TO GOD

Studio: HBO Home Entertainment
Year: 2009
Cast: Jim Jefferies
Director: John Moffitt
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Rating: Not Rated for (adult language)
Run Time: 00h:57m:42s
Genre(s): comedy

“I hate life…I’ve never enjoyed one moment on this planet.” - Jim Jefferies

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I've never heard of comedian Jim Jefferies, let alone seen any of his act, but this title's cover art and description scares the crap out of me...in a bad way.

Movie Grade: D-

DVD Grade: D+

I had absolutely no clue as to who Jim Jefferies was until a DVD copy of Jim Jefferies: I Swear to God arrived at my doorstep. After enduring this hour long “comedy” special, I would have been ok staying in the dark as to what this Australian answer to Dane Cook has to offer. Apparently Jefferies is a comic on the rise, playing sold out shows across the world for the last three years, including the Edinburgh Festival. He also appeared at the Montreal “Just for Laughs” Comedy Festival in 2007, an event that is widely seen as the turning point for Jefferies’ career.

In May, 2009, Jefferies finally hit it big in the United States, thanks to the premiere of I Swear to God on HBO. His is the type of witless, brainless comedy that, unfortunately, appeals to the masses these days. He touches on numerous subjects that we all can relate to, from religion to sex. What Jefferies doesn’t do is delve into each subject with enough substance for us to become intimately involved in what he’s trying to say. Instead, he takes the more is better approach, trying to cram as much into his one-hour time slot as possible. It’s just too bad that nothing he touches on during this hour generated a single laugh from this humble reviewer.

Jefferies ideas are interesting, but unfortunately, they’re wholly unoriginal. Ironically I saw one of our funniest comedians, David Cross, perform live the night before witnessing I Swear to God, and Jefferies act only solidified the genius of Cross. The most glaring comparison to draw between the two is that the subject matter was eerily similar. Both comedians focus on drugs, religion, and other glaring matters of today’s society, but while Cross delivers his jokes with a subtlety, charm, and, most importantly unerring wit, Jefferies’ delivery is crude, unappealing, and difficult to listen to. Jefferies jokes lack any wit at all, as each and every punch line is so easily telegraphed that there’s really no point in investing any time or energy into following along with them. Many jokes began as interesting premises, but it soon becomes clear that Jefferies doesn’t know where to go with them, so he just randomly inserts a crude remark at the end, and, of course, the audience howls with laughter.

Lest you think that Jefferies isn’t the coolest guy on the planet, he makes sure we notice the large amount of beer that he consumes while on stage. Once he’s good and hammered (he makes sure to slur his words for full effect), his act takes a dive off the deep end, and Jefferies stoops as low as he possibly can. The last half hour of his bit is nothing but pure, unbridled nastiness, featuring totally unfunny jokes about sex with Jefferies using some of the worst, most offensive words in the English language. I’m far from a prude, but there’s really no value in using such language unless there’s at least a minor bit of comedic value to be had. That’s certainly not the case here, as Jefferies is clearly trying to be as nasty as possible and hoping that any and all male meatheads in the audience will think he’s the best thing since…well, Dane Cook.

Posted by: Chuck Aliaga - October 12, 2009, 1:57 pm - DVD Review
Keywords: stand-up comedy, roasting, sex, religion