Tristram Shandy: the story of his life

By Nick Norman

"Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story." Peculiar title, even more peculiar movie. Yet, never has a title rung so true. There's a whole lot of bull, with just a touch of cock, in this uber-British film.

The title alludes to the historical novel "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" by Laurence Stern. The nine-volume, nearly 800-page tale begins at the moment of Tristram's conception and progresses into a web of side-stories, musings and endless literary indulgences.

Here's the kicker: the entire story (conception included) is told by Tristram himself. Shandy extols the novel as "wonderfully postmodern, even before there was any modernism to come after. It was way ahead of it's time." And over my head, too.

Director Michael Winterbottom ("24 Hour Party People," "9 Songs") accomplishes the filming with relative agility. In his version of the Tristram tales, we follow the filming of a film about the life of Tristram Shandy. Got it?

So, in essence, we are watching the making of an entirely separate movie. But it's the realistic details that set this film apart from the others in the genre.

Penises get caught in windows, forceps crush cantaloupe and newborn's nose alike. A giant female reproductive organ even makes a cameo -- but I mustn't give everything away.

The film opens with a lengthy sequence in which our hero, the man playing Tristram Shandy in the theatrical film, introduces the audience to the various characters who will be playing himself -- er, Tristram that is. But it's funny, so you should see it.

Then we move onto the real meat of the story: the power play between the silly egos that inevitably muddle any film set. The stars constantly bicker about the size of their heels, who should be tallest, who should get more screen time, whose teeth are the right shade of yellow for the role. The first scene offers some wonderful alternatives to the phrase "yellow teeth": barley meadow, Tuscan sunset and pub ceiling.

In fact, the exposition remained the most amusing portion of the entire film. The character introductions made me chuckle, especially when paired with the ridiculous sets in which they must act.

Despite the silliness, the core of this film offers some serious commentary on the creative process. It looks at life and admits that true living is much too rich to be able to capture in a single presentation -- such as a book or movie.

So, like I said: a whole lot of bull and a little bit of cock. Mind you, neither refers to the inhabitants of a barnyard. Grade: B

Contact Nick Norman at (408) 551-1918 or npnorman@scu.edu.