I have a lot of respect for Jerry Seinfeld. His sitcom was fantastic, and when it ended he started over from square-one. Comedian documents this process, showing his motivations, humility and ultimately his greatness.
The film succeeds because it is outlined simply and coherently. It contrasts Seinfeld with a budding comedian named Orny Adams, a dozen or so of his established peers like Jay Leno, Chris Rock, and Colin Quinn, and finally follows him to meet the sage-like Bill Cosby. The challenge the documentary faces--making Seinfeld credible as an artist struggling to prepare his work--is solved by showing him alongside these other comedians.
Orny Adams is an uppity newcomer; his funniness is overshadowed by his uptightness and his arrogance. He works hard, has reams of hyper-organized material, and consequently believes he deserves more credibility and success. Meanwhile, Seinfeld prepares for his shows from a creased sheet of yellow legal paper. This distinction isn't shown to be the cause of Seinfeld's success and Adams' obnoxiousness, but it indicates a different spirit that Adams may someday achieve.
In his conversations with other established comedians, Seinfeld reveals himself as respectful and open. Sitting around in dim pubs, he shares his nervousness and listens to the advice his friends give him over a plate of french fries or some hummus.
In the final moments, Seinfeld climbs the mountain to meet Bill Cosby, where he is blessed with the inspiration to continue. In a few minutes of conversation, Cosby reminds him why he loves comedy and why he works so hard at it.
The movie is filmed tastefully, choosing to show the reflections of the comedians more than their jokes. As a result, Comedian is rarely laugh-out-loud funny. That works well, making the documentary more fit for the artsy section of the video store than on the shelf next to a complete season of Seinfeld. Everyone will want to follow Jerry's footsteps: become great, start over, become great again.