Review of A Cock and Bull Story (2005) by Aaron N — 17 Jan 2008

Tony Wilson: Why "Tristram Shandy"? This is the book that many people said is unfilmable.

Steve Coogan: I think that's the attraction. "Tristram Shandy" was a post-modern classic written before there was any modernism to be post about. So it was way ahead of its time and, in fact, for those who haven't heard of it, it was actually listed as number eight on the Observer's top 100 books of all time.

Tony Wilson: That was a *chronological* list.

This is another movie starring Steve Coogan and directed by Michael Winterbottom in which Coogan addresses the camera often to narrate the story. This time it concerns a famously dense novel. However, the narration eventually stops and then we see that most of the movie is about a few days of the crew making this movie and dealing with a number of different issues.

This is similar to 24 Hour Party People, being handled sort of like a mockumentary, but it is also similar to Adaptation, where you have people trying to adapt a book that has been previously seen as unfilmable, so the result is a film that surrounds the efforts of filming this story, while they seem unable to do so, despite the fact that the actual film ends up being similar to the novel they are to film in the first place.

Coogan is once again hilarious. He is already good playing the star of the novel, and then when he must play himself he is even better. He plays himself as an egotistical asshole essentially, worried about being a star, and balancing his private life.

There is also a large supporting cast made up of other British actors that are very recognizable to the right audiences. It all helps that much of the behind the scenes stuff has to be improvised for the most part.

This is definetely not a film for all audiences, filled with jokes that not everyone can get, playing a lot more off wit than some of the more obvious gags and other moments. But this is still a very funny movie.

Steve Coogan: [Steve is hanging upside down in the model womb] How about filming the other way around, the right way up, and then just flip the image?

Leo: Well, maybe, but I'd have to have a word with Mark about that. I mean, I think he wanted the realism.

Steve Coogan: He wants realism?

Leo: Yeah.

Steve Coogan: Yeah, I'm a grown man, talking to the camera, in a fucking womb!