Review: The Aristocrats (B+)

The Aristocrats (2005)
Directed Paul Provenza
Starring Jon Stewart, Gilbert Gottfried, Robin Williams, Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock, The Smothers Brothers, Richard Lewis, Jason Alexander, Mario Cantone, George Carlin, Steven Wright, David Brenner, Phyllis Diller, Whoopi Goldberg, Penn & Teller, Joe Franklin, Drew Carey, Paul Reiser, Don Rickles, Bob Saget, Kevin Nealon, Andy Dick and David Brenner
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: B+

Review by Scott Standish

It's perhaps the best known joke among comedians. It begins, "An agent walks into a talent agency and says "I've got the act for you!" The comedian improvises from there and although there are a million variations on the joke, they always end with the same punch line. It's a vile joke and you get to see some very straight comedians work dirty (a plus). Another big bonus is that you see a ton of comedians talk about comedy, and how a joke should be told.

The Aristocrats is a hilarious film about one joke. The brightest comedians in the U.S. tell variations on the joke and to be honest, most of them are damn funny. It's amazing to see how every comedian changes the joke to suit their own personality. It's a simple subject with endless complexities. I loved it. Best of all, it has just about every comedian in the business, so you are bound to find your favorite comedian telling the disgusting Aristocrats joke in this wonderful documentary.

Starring a virtual who's who of comedy, The Aristocrats is a very funny documentary. It also is an amazing collection of the best comedians of our time (not too mention the inclusion of the legendary Joe Franklin). The Aristocrats is a funny joke (although very disgusting) and the joke says a lot about the person telling it. An awesome documentary, The Aristocrats is damn funny, a little disturbing, and very revealing about the comedians included.