A Review by Phil Calabro
2005, ThinkFilm, Dir. Paul Provenza/Penn Jilette - Starring Penn Jilette, Dana Gould, Gilbert Gottfried, Billy Connolly, Drew Carey, Bob Saget, Lewis Black, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Sarah Silverman, Phyllis Diller, Kevin Pollak, Steven Banks, George Carlin, Kevin Nealon, Bill Maher, Paul Reiser, Andy Richter, John Stewart, and too many more to name
I like to picture comedy as a metaphorical globe: a strong core surrounded by all different layers of 'funny'. On the northern hemisphere, we have the foundations of 'feel-good' humor, with all the knock-knock jokes and dinner table zingers. In the center is the core - the success of making someone laugh, the punchline as some might rather call it. But once you reach the southern hemisphere, you cross the layer of vulgarity. This line, once crossed, reaches the more tasteless boundaries, until you reach the lowest level - shock value. 'The Aristocrats' succeeds in making the audience laugh, but as it drags on, it loses its zing. You pile a whole bunch of comedians in the room, and each of them tell their version of the Aristocrats joke. Does that make the joke any funnier? Can they add something onto it? Sure, there are some cringe-worthy moments of humor, and there were times where I fell gasping for breath on the floor. 'The Aristocrats' can be a funny movie, but as time goes on, it loses its edge - just an excuse to be extremely pervasive and obnoxious.
For those who don't know already, 'The Aristocrats' is a joke that has supposedly been around since the days of Vaudeville, which features a family entering a talent agency asking to show their "incredible" act to the weary agent. They proceed to do the unthinkable - ranging from incest to beastiality and the most popular, scatalogical stunts and tricks. This can be changed and tweaked by the comedian, to make it more trademark - and the joke ends with them revealing their name: The Aristocrats. The point is not a punchline, but the journey to the supposedly punchline. Such buildup in the body of the joke assumes there will be some explanation for the atrocities committed in front of this talent agent. But the joke's on the audience - they were hearing the punchline for the last 10 minutes and didn't realize it. Paul Provenza and Penn Jilette film over 75 different comedians telling their variations and explaining how it affects the audience. Some of the best performances come from Gilbert Gottfried, whose snapping wit proves to be the strongest weapon, and Bob Saget, whose vulgar mind can go on the grossest tangents ever possible.
The first thirty minutes give the biggest laughs, mostly because no one knows what to expect from these jokesters. I appreciated the documentary style of the movie, with the joke-telling placed around segments discussing the value of the joke and its history. The comedians rarely lose track of the subject matter, and describe all different variations of the punchline, which make it a little more interesting to hear from the aged comedians such as Don Rickles and Phyllis Diller. But how far can you take this joke? There are all sorts of levels, but it doesn't do much to make the joke more interesting. The dirtier you make it, the more innovative you'll seem, but I feel the audience still won't take it any differently. There's only so much I take involving having sex with your grandparents and other revolting events, but these comedians seem to live off it. Mind you, there are times when this joke can be funny - but only in certain variations and deliveries - and these are the ones that made this movie worth watching. But 'the aristocrats' joke seems to be more pumped up as an inside joke for the comedy club rather than for the audience. That can get a little boring.
'The Aristocrats' is not for everybody, and I can assure you that if you are easily offended or don't take even the simplest fart joke seriously, you're bound to hate this movie. Don't bring your kids, don't bring your grandparents, and especially don't bring your dog - he might get some foul ideas from it. I found it funny in parts, but after mulling about it for awhile, I've learn to appreciate its message less. Saying "poop" once might be funny, but saying "poop" a hundred times over doesn't make it any funnier.
