''Sincerely Louis C.K.'' is a

stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...

film by American comedian

Louis C.K. Louis Alfred Székely (; born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. (), is an American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a ...

released on 4 April 2020. Filmed in 2020 in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, it is C.K.'s first stand-up performance to be released following his admission to several acts of sexual misconduct in 2017. It was published through his website for download and streaming for $7.99 with no advance notice. It received the

Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album The Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement in comedy." The award was awarded yearly from 1959 to 1993 and then from 2004 to presen ...

at the

64th Annual Grammy Awards The 64th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 2020, to September 30, ...

Production

In the credits, C.K. thanked various people, including comedians

Dave Chappelle David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006), which he starred in until quitting in the middle of p ...

Chris Rock Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his work in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best come ...

Bill Burr William Frederick Burr (born June 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, filmmaker, and podcaster. He has released multiple stand-up comedy specials, most notably ''Why Do I Do This?'' (2008), ''Let It Go'' (2010), '' You People Are ...

Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is a British-Irish comedian, presenter, writer, and actor. He is known for his deadpan delivery of controversial one-liners and distinctive laugh, for which he has been both praised and criti ...

Norm Macdonald Norman Gene MacdonaldThe capitalization of Norm Macdonald's surname has been inconsistently reported in publications such as ''TV Guide''. Books that discuss him, such as ''Shales'' (2003) and Crawford' (2000), as well as other sources such as ...

Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly ...

, and Kevin Brennan (who opened for C.K. during the taping of the special), as well as

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, and his girlfriend

Blanche Gardin Blanche Gardin (; born 3 April 1977) is a French actress, comedian and writer. Gardin holds a Master of Sociology degree from the Paris Nanterre University Paris Nanterre University (French: ''Université Paris Nanterre''), formerly Paris-X ...

. He dedicated the special to his mother who had died in 2019.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes gives the show rating based on reviews. In his three-star review, Brian Logan of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' argued that some of the material was "wickedly good", but also critiqued C.K. for the "self-pity" he displayed in his set. Kyle Smith of ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief i ...

'' argued that "Louis C.K. Remains Brilliant", and also critiqued the headlines of entertainment outlets such as ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' stating, "Critics seem to be trying to shame C.K.’s viewers away from his act by warning them it contains inappropriate ideas... it's been more than half a century since Lenny Bruce, but suddenly making jokes about 'touchy subjects' is beyond the pale?" Some critics criticized C.K., and argued that the public deserved an honest and frank discussion about the instances of sexual misconduct, and that said discussion must be a part of this special. Other reviewers commended him for how he addressed his misconduct, with ''Hollywood in Toto'' declaring "The special grows stronger toward the end, and his final reflections on 'you know what' prove illuminating and funny."

References

External links

* {{Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album 2020 films 2020 comedy films Films directed by Louis C.K. Stand-up comedy concert films Louis C.K. albums American comedy films 2020s English-language films 2020s American films