MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) - Movie Review

Director: Terry Jones
Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Sue Jones-Davies
Genre: Comedy
Writer: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
Runtime: 94 min
Rated: R
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

The film tells the story of Brian (Graham Chapman), a reluctant would-be messiah who rises to prominence as a result of a series of absurd and truly hilarious circumstances providing ample opportunity for the entire ensemble to shine in multiple roles as they mock everyone and everything from ex lepers, Pontius Pilate and the art of haggling to crazy prophets, Roman centurions and crucifixion.

Review:

"Life of Brian" has been widely praised as one of the best comedies of all time. And rightfully so, I would say. This is a movie that has been controversial from the day it was released until today, because it pokes fun at groups of people who are not generally known for their sense of humor, especially revolutionary groups and religious fundamentalists. It satirizes both left-wing and right-wing politics, skewering the stupidity and hypocrisy associated with politics and organized relgion. I would love to see anyone try to make a movie like this today.

Regarding the so-called controversies, anyone with half a brain can see there's nothing to get all up in arms about. Jesus and his teachings are not the target of the Python's satire. In fact, Idle himself has said that while the group was initially thinking of having Jesus as the protagonist of their movie, they discovered that "He's not particularly funny, what he's saying isn't mockable, it's very decent stuff". That's when they came up with Brian, the unfortunate soul who was born at the exact same time as the Messiah and unwittingly gets caught up in the prophet frenzy.

Hollywood historical epics in particular are the ones getting lampooned, and the humor is razor-sharp and on point. Not all the gags land, but the duds are very few and far between. Chapman, Cleese, Palin, Idle, Jones and Gilliam are at the top of their game as they jump from one character to the next, each funnier than the previous one. What an incredibly talented group of performers !

Although a comedy isn't exactly the genre to start nitpicking about production values, the film does look exceptionally well made, with sets and costumes that convincingly depict the historical period. Fun fact: the filmmakers shot on location in Monastir, Tunisia, which allowed them to repurpose sets left over from Franco Zeffirelli's 1977 miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth". And stay 'til the end for Eric Idle's song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life", a definitive ode to optimism with a catchy melody and poignant lyrics, that is a total banger.

"Life of Brian" is as close to perfection as any movie can get, and a must-see for the irreverent and anarchic humor that is sorely missing from all media today.

SCORE: 10/10