The Aristocrats Review

"A man walks into a talent agent's office and says 'Boy, have I got an act for you. It's a family act; it'll be a sensation!' The agent says 'Sure, tell me about it'. And so begins "The Aristocrats", the most disgusting joke in the world, as told by comedians since the days of Vaudeville. The setup and punchline are the same every time, but the space in between provides ample time to improvise and get laughs from the laughter-makers themselves. This documentary, from directors Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette, brings together interviews gathered over a four-year period from around a hundred professional comedians, who pour over and deconstruct the joke while retelling it in their own style, and remembering some of their peers' renditions.

What follows is possibly the funniest and filthiest hour-and-a-half of your life as the likes of Robin Williams, Billy Connolly, Chris Rock, Eddie Izzard, Whoopi Goldberg and the Spinal Tap lads (to name but a few) verbally break every taboo in the book, invent some new ones, then break them as well for good measure. Along the way, the performers explore the joke's structure, internal logic and politics as well its place in satire, and the influence of a comic's race, gender or cultural background on their own personal re-telling of it.

Provided you can withstand a continual torrent of sexual and scatological imagery "The Aristocrats" could very well have you rolling in the aisles. But those of a more delicate nature would do well to avoid.