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Tristam Shandy: A Cock
and Bull Story
Directed by: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Steve Coogan
Genre:
Comedy
Run Time: 94
min.
Release Date:
January 2006
On The Web:
Official Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
This is a pretty tough review to write,
mainly because this film definitely won't be for the general population.
If you like potty humor and in-your-face laughs, avoid this movie.
TRISTRAM SHANDY is a thinking man's comedy, with jokes inside jokes
inside jokes.
For those who are unfamiliar with the title (THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF
TRISTRAM SHANDY, GENTLEMAN), this is in reference to the 18th century
literary paperweight composing nine volumes written by Laurence Sterne
(famous author John Updike has been quoted as saying, "It's the one
novel I want to read before I die"). Considered a "comedy ahead of its
time," it caught on quickly with London's upper class and became quite a
success. But as times changed so did the literary climate, and now the
volumes are seen as ...well ...voluminous. Attempting to make a coherent
film out of something so incoherently nonlinear certainly would present
a challenge, too, so I was quite surprised to see that the books had
been translated to the silver screen.
Or so I thought...
The amazing thing about this movie is that it did something completely
unexpected: it stayed true to Laurence Sterne's style (being possibly
the first example of "stream of consciousness" writing) but did so by
not attempting to tell the story of Tristram Shandy at all. I found this
to be one of the funniest aspects of the movie. I could picture the
directors and producers in a room talking about the impossibility of
turning the books into film and then someone saying, "Hey, why don't we
not even try?" So, in the spirit of its original author, that's exactly
what these film makers did.
The story starts out with a film maker (Steve Coogan, director) trying
to tell the story of Tristram Shandy while living a life within the
movie itself. Basically, it's the story of a man trying to make a film
about a film within a film. It can seem somewhat confusing as the
audience is ripped through scenes, unsure of where and - most
importantly - when they are. To try and tell you how the movie flows
would be absolutely impossible, because it has no flow ...and yet it
does. The laughs are surprising and often hidden, so a watcher might
have to view it several times before connecting with all of the gags
(the only exception being when they try to show how funny the film's
going to be by dropping a hot chestnut down a man's pants ...seeing that
might be worth the price of admission for some).
I was surprisingly riveted to the screen throughout the movie, worried
that I might miss something (Is the battle scene over? Will it be in the
film they're trying to make? Will there be a love scene with Gillian
Anderson?).
I think this film might get panned by quite a few professional reviewers
because it is so different than anything we're used to as movie-goers.
But the high comedy can't be denied. It's sheer genius how it all came
together (and watch for the running joke on poor British dental hygiene
throughout the film).
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Image from Tristam Shandy:
A Cock and Bull Story
DVD cost: $8.86
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
All of the armed soldiers
(those with working guns) in the battle scenes, plus some other extras
were members of the Sealed Knot Society, which tours the UK, performing
historical re-enactments of the English Civil War.
Movie Quote: "Do
you know there's a good Groucho Marx story about, see, he meets a woman
with seven children and says "Why've you got seven kids?" and she says
"Because I love my husband." And he says, "Well, I love my cigar, but I
take it out now and again."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
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