Meaning Of Life
This film, the last full collaboration of the Immortal Monty Python comedy group, at times is slapdash with bits that donât work, but at other times has moments of incredible brilliance. The premise is that the group is seeking the âMeaning Of Lifeâ obviously, and attempt to do so with sketches that are divided into chapters concerning birth, education, and war among others, but first, in the nature of the anything-goes style of the film, is an elaborate segment featuring the âCrimson Permanent Assuranceâ company, where a bunch of old men bound by their horrible desk jobs take revenge on the hotshit young corporate yuppies who lord over them as their boss, and in the hands of Python member Terry Gilliam, nearly threatens to overtake the movie with its surreal insanity. Once it ends, and the real movie begins though, the laughs come either fast or not at all depending on the sketch, with highlights including the anti-Catholic âEvery Sperm Is Sacredâ song (followed by the Protestant couple who make fun of them), the riotous sex education scene where John Cleeseâs teacher warily shows his students how to have intercourse while using his wife as the recipient (and even chastises one of the students for falling asleep(!) during the demonstration) followed by the hilarious rugby match between the (adult) schoolmasters and the (young boy) students (complete with ominous organ music as the children get theirs), and on and on, with sick gruesome bits like the Live Organ Transplant sketch and the unforgettable Fat Man In The Restaurant. As said, certain moments donât quite work, like the bizarre âFind The Fishâ bit placed conveniently in the middle of the film, or the regiment sergeant who dismisses each of his men from marching because they have something better to do. As for the Pythons themselves, they live up to their reps as usual: Cleese will always be thought of as the funniest of the bunch, and gets most of the best moments; Graham Chapman maintains his position as the steady utility guy of the group with his share of laughs; Gilliam (easiest the most brilliant behind the camera) is still the most enigmatic one probably because he comes onscreen the least; Eric Idle is the workhorse of the group who always plays the most characters, even if he is the most easily distinguishable of the group; Co-director Terry Jones sadly continues on as the most self-indulgent member always looking for attention, even as he deserves it playing the Fat Man; and Michael Palin of course is the groupâs one true chameleon, never afraid to wear the most ridiculous wigs and disguises in order to get his character across. As said, the film is wildly uneven and nearly runs out of steam by the end, but the sheer audacity of the material manages to prevent it from doing so, with the finale showing the playing of their old TV showâs opening truly signaling it as the end of an era in the annals of comedy. Overall, a fitting swan song, a no-brainer for fans of Python and a good funny flick to show people if they have the right mood on or have a strong constitutionâŚ
8/10