Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) is a delusional New York City stand-up comedian trying to get his big break. There's just one problem: he's not very good, and certainly not as good as he thinks he is. After meeting successful comedian and talk show host Jerry Langford (a hilariously deadpan Jerry Lewis), he tries repeatedly to win a guest spot on Langford's show, but Langford's secretary Cathy Long (Shelley Hack) and then Langford himself rebuff Rupert. Still undeterred, Rupert then arrives uninvited at Langford's country house, albeit partly in attempt to impress his love interest, local bartender Rita Keene (De Niro's then-wife Diahnne Abbott). When this stunt also fails, Pupkin then takes drastic measures: with fellow stalker Masha's (Sandra Bernhard) help, he kidnaps Langford and holds him at ransom until Langford finally relents and gives him a chance at stardom.
The King of Comedy was a departure for Martin Scorsese and De Niro in that it's more of, well, a comedy than any of their previous collaborations; however, a streak of underlying darkness and suspense still pervades it. What I'm saying is, it's a black comedy. Working from Paul D. Zimmerman's suitably balanced screenplay, Scorsese seems to feel refreshed in diversifying his tone here and De Niro shows glimmers of the comic skill he would later demonstrate more overtly in farces like Meet the Parents. Together, this trio also offer a stinging and a quite impassioned critique of modern society's obsession with celebrity and glamour, as well the fickleness and pitfalls of fame. In that sense, it's very easy to see why this film has grown in popularity and relevance over time despite commercially flopping when first released.
Regardless, there are plenty of genuine laughs to be had here and they're all mixed in with the darker and more serious scenes very effectively. It also evokes the atmosphere and inner workings of New York City's culture and entertainment scene (at least of the era) very strongly, as I guess you'd expect from a Scorsese picture as it's his home city. Anyhow, The King of Comedy reigns supreme. 9/10.
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