Tristram Shandy is the oddest and most entertaining sort of film. It is a film about the making of the film that you are watching, hosted by the fictional main character. It is sort-of like American Splendor, and sort-of like Spinal Tap. The film is the story of the life of Tristram Shandy, an 18th century Englishman of particularly stately means. The man’s life is of note and worthy of such a film because… well, now that I think of it… I don’t really know. You see, there are so many interruptions and different takes during the film that the actors are trying to make, that the viewer never really learns anything. Herein lies the genius of the piece. For all of the efforts the cast makes to tell the story, they never really tell us anything at all. Instead, the film is full of false starts, tales told out of order, and tons of disturbingly enjoyable comedy.
When reviewers talk about the desire to find new and interesting films, this is just the kind of thing they are talking about. This is a film that defies explanation, except to say that it is very, very funny. It is a fictional documentary about the filming of an unfilmable book. That in and of itself should sell you on picking up this disc.
Audio
The audio here is quite good, with one notable exception. In an effort to capture the documentary feel of the film, some of the dialog is a bit hard to hear. While the film would absolutely have to be scripted, it has a real fly-on-the-wall feel to it, and the audio is a big part of that. This effect is a double edged sword, though, since it obviously makes it easy for viewers to miss some of the brilliant dialog.
This aside, the rest of the audio is handled quite well. Ambient sounds accurately reproduce the noises on a film set, and the sounds move around the room as they should. The real treat is that the track can be quite loud and powerful when it wants to be, such as in the shooting of the battle scene. The track is a bit flat because it choses to be a bit flat. It is all part of the film’s twisted charm.
Video
The video transfer hits the same mark as the audio. It falls somewhere between a documentary and a big budget fiction film. The film is presented in a beautiful widescreen format, yet hand held cameras are used throughout. On the one hand, there is some grain. On the other hand, there are some great split screen and multiple image shots scattered throughout. It is a beautifully flawed transfer, just as it should be.
Special Features
This is one of those great films where the feature itself is actually something of extra in and of itself. In addition to the token theatrical trailers, there are some scene extensions, as would be expected, since they are directly alluded to in the film itself. The companion deleted scenes are also included.
The disc also includes behind-the-scenes footage, which is especially odd since the film itself is a behind-the-scenes look at its own star. The whole thing wraps up with an extended interview with Steve Coogan conducted by Tony Wilson. Wilson interviews Coogan in the film, so we’re really just talking about another deleted/extended scene. When it’s all said and done, there is really not a lot of bonus material here. It’s a shame, too, because this was undoubtedly a fascinating shoot.
Conclusion
This is a brilliantly funny film, and it rises way beyond the level of your average comedy. If viewers will really be honest with themselves, they will admit that comedies really don’t make very good films. This is a bold exception to that rule. This is a film that is complex, nuanced and extremely well-made. Fans of this film will undoubtedly hope that this disc sells well, as this would make a great two-disc special edition.
