Monty Python
And Now For Something Completely Different

There are certain films so extraordinary they leave you speechless, so wonderful that any praise becomes superfluous. Then there are other films so horrendous that you can't find the words to express the disgust felt during the viewing, so chilling that you wonder who could ever have believed in the potential of such a project. There are good films, there are bad films, there are mediocre films. And then there are the Monty Python who, as usual, transcend any scheme.

The year is 1971. "The Beatles of comedy," as they have been described by the press, are fresh from the first two seasons of their show "Monty Python's Flying Circus," and their success in Great Britain is total and unstoppable. On the other hand, however, things aren't going as well in the United States, where the comedic group hasn't yet managed to make a breakthrough. Is it the fault of the humor being too "British"? Yankee obtuseness? It's not known, but the fact remains that the land across the ocean remains an insurmountable barrier for the six Pythons. Victor Lownes would try to remedy this situation.

But who is Victor Lownes? Head of Playboy UK (yes, the one with the bunnies), confidant and deputy of Hugh Hefner, womanizer, egocentric beyond measure, occasional film producer, and a great fan of the Monty Python, Lownes proposed to the comedic group to make a film that included their best sketches from the Flying Circus to break the barrier that stood between the Pythons and success in America; Chapman and company gladly accepted the proposal, but, in hindsight, the final result would not prove to be as good as the intentions were.

Produced with a very tight budget (80,000 pounds which are even ridiculed in the Killer Cars sketch), the film's shooting was turbulent mainly due to Lownes himself and his protagonism manias: the producer constantly interfered in the Python's work, modifying or completely censoring some sketches and characters that were supposed to appear in the film; it culminated when Lownes wanted his name to be presented in the opening credits (created by Terry Gilliam) in the same manner as the Python's, to demonstrate how he had the same importance as the six English comedians. In response, Gilliam created two different presentation sequences, almost to show that there was no common ground between Lownes and the Python.

But what is this film about? The first answer that comes to mind is "nothing," which is not entirely wrong but not as negative as it seems. As already specified, this "And Now For Something Completely Different" (a title that recalls the phrase said multiple times by John Cleese throughout the film in the most unimaginable situations, thus representing the only link between one scene and the next) is merely a collection of the Python's best sketches; thus utilizing the stream of consciousness technique already experimented in the TV series, the viewer is literally tossed from one scene to another without any continuity solution, except for the aforementioned Cleese catchphrase and those laughs that are always guaranteed with the Monty Python.

It's evident, then, that the film itself doesn't provide much content to discuss in a review; the only thing to do would be to directly cite the sketches present in the film, all of which deserve praise: from the now historic Mr. Nudge played by Eric Idle to the equally historic stickler military man (Graham Chapman), arriving at the world's funniest joke to the fake Hungarian dictionary; and the list could go on. Therefore, the film, while proving more than worthy of praise on the comedic front, lacks a solid and coherent structure and especially that depth that will consecrate works like "Life of Brian" and "The Meaning of Life" to cinema history, resulting in a jumble of certainly funny and amusing scenes and characters, but not as complete as their cinematic successors.

In conclusion, one last historical note: this film, paradoxically, was a flop in the USA and a success in the UK, flying in the face of Lownes's intentions; despite being a "reheated soup" for them, the British remained faithful to the Python's work (who considered this film a failure) while the Americans did not show much interest in the six comedians' offering. A twist in line with the group's humor.

And now for something completely different...