The Aristocrats Review
By David Kempler
Good Filthy Fun
The Dirtiest Joke You May Ever Hear
"The Aristocrats" is hard to compare to any other film I have ever seen. I can't call it a great film, but it's certainly not a bad film. Strictly speaking, it's almost not even a film. It's a documentary, but it is so unique that it really should have its own subgenre. Let's call it a comedentary.
Director Paul Provenza and Penn (of Penn & Teller) Jillette are responsible for this one joke pony. What they have done is let the audience in on one of the oldest and dirtiest jokes around. Calling it dirty doesn't do it justice. It is in such poor taste that it is difficult to imagine some folks not trying to get it banned. The joke was born in vaudevillian days but no one is certain of its exact origin. It's the joke that comedians gauge other comedians by. How you tell this joke tells a lot about how you interpret and improvise. It's amazing to think that fifty or so people essentially telling the same joke over and over for ninety minutes could be so much fun, but for the most part it is. A notable exception is George Carlin's constant need to analyze it to death. Nothing is as unfunny as a comedian analyzing comedy. It's a shame that he has so much screen time.
Even when the movie hits some slow spots, they don't last long. When you have a cast as funny and talented as this one, comedic relief is never far away. Most of the time while watching, you will have trouble not smiling. At other times you'll burst out laughing. The utter joy being experienced by everyone in "The Aristocrats" is incredibly engaging and contagious.
While there are quite a few highlights, some performances truly stand out. Alphabetically, they include: Steven Banks as Billy The Mime silently acting out the filth in front of unknowing pedestrians walking by; Martin Mull, with a truly hilarious interpretation; an animated appearance by the boys from South Park, with Cartman in charge; Kevin Pollak doing an impression of Christopher Walken telling the story; Bob Saget, who America may not realize is one of the most clever and raunchy fellows around; and Sarah Silverman molding it another way that works perfectly for her.
What gives "The Aristocrats" a little bit of meat to match the sizzle comes from Gilbert Gottfried. A few weeks after the tragedy of 9/11, a Friars Roast was held in honor of Hugh Hefner. Everyone was tense about doing their comedy at a time when people were in deep mourning. Gottfried tried to make a joke about 9/11 and the reactions ranged from uncomfortable quiet to booing. He stopped his routine and immediately went into THE joke. It blew the audience and his fellow comedians away and they almost universally acknowledge that Gottfried nailed it like nobody before him. More than that, he relieved the pressure in that room and allowed people to feel comfortable with laughing again. Luckily for us, it was taped.
"The Aristocrats" is not great cinema. What it is, is an excuse to laugh and enjoy yourself. No doubt, some of you will be offended, some will walk out, some will call for it to be banned. Then again, some people are &*^%#!, so who cares what they think.
