A Cock and Bull Story (2005)

Calificación de los usuarios:

6.9/10   

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Escritores:

Laurence Sterne (novel)
Frank Cottrell Boyce (screenplay)

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

20 enero 2006 (UK)

Género:

Comedia

Frase comercial:

Because everyone loves an accurate period piece.

Plot:

Director Michael Winterbottom (Northam) attempts to shoot the adaptation of Laurence Sterne's essentially unfilmable novel, "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman."

Plot Keywords:

Split Screen | Interview | Baby | Teeth | Midwife

Premios:

2 wins & 12 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Cocky and bullish

Reparto

Steve Coogan	...	Tristram Shandy / Walter Shandy / Steve Coogan
Rob Brydon	...	Capt. Toby Shandy / Rob Brydon
Keeley Hawes	...	Elizabeth
Shirley Henderson	...	Susannah
Raymond Waring	...	Trim
Conal Murphy	...	Young Tristram Shandy - Age 6
Joe Williams	...	Young Tristram Shandy - Age 9
Paul Kynman	...	Obadiah
Mark Tandy	...	London Doctor
Mary Healey	...	Midwife
Dylan Moran	...	Dr. Slop
Jack Shepherd	...	Surgeon
David Walliams	...	Parson
Jeremy Northam	...	Mark
Benedict Wong	...	Ed

También conocida como:

Tristram Shandy (UK) (working title)
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Duración:

94 min

País:

UK

Idioma:

Inglés

Color:

Color

Relación de Aspecto:

2.35 : 1

Sonido:

Dolby Digital

Clasificación:

USA:R | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Argentina:16 | Sweden:Btl | Finland:K-11 | Singapore:M18 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Australia:M

Locaciones de Filmación:

Blickling Hall, Blickling, Norfolk, England, UK

Compañía:

BBC Films

Trivialidades:

Stephen Rodrick was on set to interview Michael Winterbottom for the New York Times magazine (published on 3 July 2005) when he was roped in to appear in the film.

Citas:

Rob Brydon: [Rob shows Steve his teeth] What do you think? Have a look at the color.
Steve Coogan: I saw the color the last time I looked. It registered.
Rob Brydon: It's what they call "not white." What color would you call it?
Steve Coogan: I would, I'd concur with "not white." I'd go further.
Rob Brydon: I mean, it's not yellow.
Steve Coogan: I, you know, I mean, there's a sliding scale, isn't there, you know.
Rob Brydon: Hint of yellow.
Steve Coogan: I think you're closest to...
Rob Brydon: Barley meadow. Tuscan sunset.
Steve Coogan: You're getting laughs, but it's not making your teeth look any better.

Conexiones de Película:

References Angst essen Seele auf (1974)

Banda de Sonido:

Sinfonia in C Major Opus 3. No 2

Cocky and bullish

How do you film an unfilmable book? Well, you can either make it up as you go along, as David Cronenberg did with Naked Lunch, or you take this approach and make a film about a film crew making a film of an unfilmable book. The tricky tome in question here is The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentlemen - a bawdy work of wit and wonderment penned in 1760 by clergyman Laurence Sterne.

Steve Coogan plays Tristram - even though he's not born by the end of the book - as well as Tristram's father Walter... and himself. Or rather, a semi-fictional version of himself. Rob Brydon also stars as himself and Walter's brother - Tristram's Uncle Toby. There are lots of other familiar British TV actors either playing themselves playing other characters or simply playing characters who interact with the stars of the film-within-the-film (for example, Ian Hart plays the screenwriter but doesn't play Ian Hart). And Gillian Anderson makes an appearance. Confused? Don't worry, you won't be.

As the writer and director strive to retain the spirit of Shandy compromises have to be made to allow for star egos, historical accuracy (Mark Williams is excellent as a pain-in-the-arse military consultant), and a miniscule budget. In one cracking scene, the crew watch the 'rushes' of the underwhelming battle scene ("Look at that! There are, literally, tens of people..."), leaving the director in despair and the costume designer in tears.

The seemingly complicated set-up actually makes a lot of sense, with Coogan sending up the naughty-boy persona created for him by the British press and Brydon sending up Coogan, while the film itself sends up the movie-making process. Viewers will be frequently amused but never bewildered as Michael Winterbottom pulls it all together with panache.

Anyone unfamiliar with the novel won't learn much, but it matters not. Bawdy and barmy, A Cock And Bull Story embodies Sterne's work perfectly. Coogan gamely shows his vulnerable side (or maybe that's just good acting?) and shows terrific rapport with Brydon, who steals the show with marvellously mundane banter and spot-on impersonations of Coogan-as-Alan Partridge and Roger Moore. Give that man his own movie.