By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Gillian Anderson | Kelly Macdonald | Rob Brydon | Shirley Henderson | Steve Coogan
Country: united_kingdom
Year: 2006
Running time: 89
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423409/
Michael says: “Michael Winterbottom is certainly one of the most eclectic filmmakers around. His body of work includes personal dramas such as WONDERLAND and BUTTERFLY KISS; political films such as WELCOME TO SARAJEVO; period pieces like THE CLAIM; science fiction tales stories like CODE 46, musical experiments featuring actual sex as in last year’s
9 SONGS and stories about real people such as 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE. With his latest film, TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY, Winterbottom goes meta making a film about the making of an unadaptable British classic novel. Steve Coogan plays himself in a role that is light years from, yet strangely reminiscent of his turn in 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE as Tony Wilson (who actually appears as himself in SHANDY). It’s great to see Coogan (and some of his co-stars) poke fun at himself and his persona as the star of this production who wants to be acknowledged as such and treated accordingly, yet ever trying to be easy to work with and a generally good guy. Winterbottom’s self-reflective films sneaks up on the viewer, coming across as one type of film for the first half hour or so, before pulling back to reveal a camera crew and becoming a movie within a movie.
“Coogan gets some able assistance from fellow actors Rob Brydon, Shirley Henderson, Kelly MacDonald, Jeremy Northam and Ian Hart, and it all adds up to a laugh-out-loud, whacked-out ball of entertainment. You’ll find yourself scratching your head in bewilderment even as you’re shaking with laughter. I haven’t had this much fun in a movie for quite a while. Rob Brydon (MIRRORMASK) is goofily hysterical, and Shirley Henderson appears to be as quirky in real life as she is in her films. It was fun to see Gillian Anderson making fun of the diva actress in her cameo as herself. Highly recommended. 4 ½ cats.”