Movie Review: The Aristocrats

The Aristocrats (DVD)

When this little documentary first began getting publicity last year, I knew it would never come to a theatre anywhere near me. There was talk of an NC-17 rating, and reviewers were calling it "obscene" and worse (though almost all claimed it was also very funny). At that point, I also knew I had to see it. Believe it or not, I actually looked up the scheduled DVD release date months ago, programmed it into my Palm Pilot, and did everything I could to ensure I saw the film as soon as possible after last Tuesday's release.

The Aristocrats is actually the punch line of a joke well known to professional comedians, but largely unheard by most of the rest of us. It always starts with the same premise: A man walks into a talent agent's office and tells the agent he's got a new act he simply must see. It always ends with the same punch line. But in between the start and finish, the teller is on his or her own to devise a description of the "must see" act.

Comedians have sometimes used the joke as an improvisational warm-up before going on stage. Some have tried to see how long they could make the joke last (there are rumored instances where it lasted well over an hour); each tries to be as creative and different as possible from other comedians and even from other personal tellings of the joke. In virtually every instance, the teller also makes the attempt to make his or her version of the joke as disgusting, obscene, or outright sickening as it can possibly be.

In early promotional copy for The Aristocrats, we were urged to watch the film if we wanted to see the kind of joke comedians tell other comedians. But The Aristocrats is more than that as, through its interviews, it also discusses the origin of the joke (which apparently first became a backstage staple in the days of vaudeville) and the finer points of what makes a joke funny in the first place. Of course, the movie also features a variety of very famous comedians give their own take on the joke.

Classic comedians such as George Carlin and Phyllis Diller offer up their memories of their own first exposure to the joke; Carlin tells one version and then explains his thought process. Kevin Pollack tells the joke (at least in part) in the voice of his dead-on Christopher Walken impersonation; Whoopie Goldberg notes how the times have changed insofar as shock value for audiences is gauged. Drew Carey tells how he himself tells the joke (and the telling of the telling is even funnier than the joke). Martin Mull's classic and relatively straight telling of the joke is funny, but also serves as something of a baseline that will shortly be decimated by the others who follow including a shockingly vulgar Bob Saget (who knew?).

Among the many who actually treat us to their own version of the joke are a man in a bathroom (who also offers a follow-up that's hysterical), a sleight-of-hand man who illustrates his telling with a handy deck of cards, and a sweet-spoken woman who obviously doesn't understand the joke at all — and who then nails us with a very clear understanding indeed. Penn and Teller offer a story about the joke instead of the joke, and it's also a hoot. Even the South Park boys put in an appearance (Cartman's classing telling is not to be missed), while Gilbert Gottfried's antics are yet another highlight (or lowlight, as the case may be).

The Aristocrats is a few parts educational and interesting from an historic standpoint. But it's mostly at least as obscene as I'd heard it was. The language is as bad as it gets; the acts described in graphic terms are even worse. The joke itself isn't really even very funny. But the telling of the joke can be very funny indeed if it's in the right hands, and many of the right hands were willing to play along with Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette who put the idea and the subsequent interviews together.

The film was clearly made on the cheap, and in many places it's glaringly overedited. But it stays largely true to its documentary nature and as such can be excused many of its lesser production qualities. In fact, the grittiness lends a bit to the idea that we're getting a sneak peek at things we mere mortals don't usually get to see.

Dozens of comedians are featured throughout the 90 minute film, and most of them are familiar faces to those who love a few laughs: Robin Williams, David Brenner, John Stewart, Dave Thomas, Rita Rudner, Billy the Mime (sorry, you'll just have to see for yourself how a mime manages to tell his own obscene version of the joke) and many, many more. The DVD extras are also well worth a look, including expanded interviews with some whose appearances were edited in the movie proper.

I didn't laugh as often as I would have hoped, but I did laugh; there are a number of moments both within and without the joke that are genuinely very, very funny. I also appreciated the documentary itself. On balance, I'm glad I went to the trouble to see The Aristocrats. If you're not easily offended, you will be too.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: The Aristocrats is unrated (but, as the producers point out, is protected by the First Amendment). Early word was that the film would likely garner an NC-17, so the moviemakers chose to seek no rating at all. The bottom line here is that The Aristocrats is incredibly vulgar, and I don't know that obscene would be too strong a word. That being said, vulgarity and obscenity don't typically disturb me, and in some instances can actually add to the humor in a "forbidden fruit" sort of way. This is unquestionably one of those instances. I don't think for a minute that you should let your kids see it — and I don't care how old they are. I also caution adults who are easily offended to steer clear of The Aristocrats. But many of the rest of you might just find The Aristocrats to be as entertaining as I did.