MovieChat Forums > A Cock and Bull Story (2006) Discussion > Why the film is intentionally boring/bad...

Why the film is intentionally boring/bad...

posted 13 years ago by Mania112
3 replies | jump to latest

This movie is about Coogan/Brydon/Winterbottom (playing extreme versions of themselves) making a movie.

The movie they're making is an adaptation of a novel called 'The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, Gentleman'

Details of the novel can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_and_Opinions_of_Tristram_Shandy,_Gentleman

From what I've learnt, it seems this novel is regarded as quite an impossible story to re-tell in a movie, because of it's disfunctional structure.

In their blind stubbornness, the cast/crew believe they can still make it a success by struturing the movie as a comedic, narrated story.

As it turns out, no - their movie doesn't turn out well. And that's deliberate.

I suppose this type of movie would appeal to Monty Python fans.

With this knowledge, I still believe this movie is far from great, but it's perfectly watchable.

[–] nubbytubbybiatchesgalore 13 years ago

I suppose this type of movie would appeal to Monty Python fans.

this whole movie is basically the ending of holy grail. and i love it!

[–] jibskier 12 years ago

They actually succeed in making a film in the style of Lawrence Stern's writing for Tristram Shandy. The plot of the books is all over the place, but a huge theme within it is the stream of consciousness and digressive departure from the story to talk about writing the story and apologizing for getting of topic and so on. I think most people who see this movie as either boring or bad miss the point of where the plot goes. It's like going to Hamlet and getting pissed off that everyone dies.

[–] mattiasflgrtll6 8 years ago

I think most people who see this movie as either boring or bad miss the point of where the plot goes.

Could be, but could also be that the movie just isn't that funny no matter how much it tries, and that it becomes really BORING once it completely switches to the mockumentary format.

There are some individual funny scenes, but overall I was extremely bored with this movie. Afterwards, it felt like I had watched NOTHING, even though that pretty much was the point. If the book is unfilmable, this movie certainly proves it. A Cock And Bull Story... is bull and no story.