Review of The Aristocrats (2005) by Jeffl. — 30 Aug 2005

Utterly unique documentary - the brainchild of comedian Paul Provenza and magician Penn Jillette - could be subtitled "Anatomy of a Dirty Joke," as dozens of comics - famous and obscure, young and old, male and female, brilliant and awful - take turns telling and retelling the same joke.

The joke itself (usually known in comedy circles as "The Aristocrat") is simple and not very funny; the payoff comes in watching each comedian telling the joke in his or her own style, adding layers of filth, grossness, and perverse detail to their particular version.

It's not enough for me to warn you to stay away if you're easily offended; if you think that there's ANY possibility that mere words will truly upset you, find another movie. But if you have a genuine interest in the inner workings of the comic mind and a high tolerance for outrageous descriptions of every act of sex and scatology imaginable, this is a must-see.

While a few of the performances fall flat (and an out-of-it Eddie Izzard appears to be plastered during his bit), many soar, in their own, sick ways. Sitcom stars Bob Saget and Paul Reiser are uproarious in ways that fans could never even imagine from Full House or Mad About You.

Kevin Pollak tells the whole thing while impersonating Christopher Walken (!) Tom Smothers, who knows the joke, tells it to brother Dick, who doesn't. Carrie Fisher brings her famous parents (Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher) into the story, while a very pregnant Judy Gold incorporates her unborn baby.

Novelty acts include a juggling team (impressive), a mime (surprisingly funny), a card-trick artist (remarkable), and a ventriloquist (awful.) Arguably the funniest, and certainly of the most historic interest, is Gilbert Gottfried's rare public telling of the joke at a Friars Club roast (of Hugh Hefner) just weeks after September 11, 2001.

Gottfried's fearlessly outrageous, take-no-prisoners rendition draws huge, cathartic laughs not only from the audience, but from his fellow comics, who gasp in helpless disbelief as he tells the joke that has become their "little secret.

" Some may grow weary of the repetition of the material, but I found this to be a fascinating, original, and often explosively funny cinematic experiment.