Film Reviews

The Aristocrats

• Rating:
• Director: Paul Provenza
• Starring: Billy Connolly
• Details: US / 89 mins (18s).

'The Aristocrats!' is the punchline to what might well be the filthiest, most disgusting joke ever told - so sordid is the joke, it's something of a secret amongst comedians. In this documentary, Paul Provenza assembles a vast array of comedic talent to (a) tell the joke, (b) give their own variations on it, and (c) explain why it's funny. If that sounds like a whole lot of hard work, then bear in mind that the point of the 'The Aristocrats!' joke is not the punchline itself but how each individual comedian embellishes the shaggy-dog build-up. The joke "holds up a mirror to itself", and by extension its teller, by illuminating the darkest corners of a comedian's psyche - so runs the theory, at least. It's fascinating to hear some of the world's most famous comedians - Robin Williams, Billy Connolly, Eric Idle - ruminate on the philosophy of what makes a joke funny, although once the filmmakers have established that it's the timing and delivery that counts most, there isn't a whole lot more to say. For the record, The Aristocrats is worth seeing if only for Cartman's take on the joke, as he wows Kyle, Stan and Kenny at the bus-stop, and to see actor Kevin Pollak doing a note-perfect impression of Christopher Walken telling a perfectly revolting version.

Review by Declan Burke