TIFF 2012 REVIEW: A LIAR'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY: THE UNTRUE STORY OF MONTY PYTHON'S GRAHAM CHAPMAN
(United Kingdom/United
States, 2012)
Cast: Graham Chapman,
John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Cameron Diaz
Written by: Graham Chapman, David Sherlock (original text)
Directed by: Bill Jones, Jeff Simpson, Ben Timlett
This gleefully scattershot and raunchy 3D (!) visualization
of the late Graham Chapman's autobiography will appeal to most as a reunion of
his fellow Monty Python Flying Circus cohorts (well, most, but more about that
later).
The faux-doc's overall indifferent reviews since the
screening are surprising, given the lively spirit of the work, the variety of inventive
animation styles (14 different studios), the arch first- person delivery of
Chapman himself (who was working on an audiobook version of his 1980 autobiography
before he died), and the whirlwind tour offered through the 60s, 70s, and 80s,
when Western culture wasn't quite so accommodating of a personality as flamboyantly
hedonistic as Chapman, who died too young at the age of 48 in 1989.
"A Liar's Biography" chronicles Chapman's
difficult childhood in Leicester, Englan, his years studying medicine at
Cambridge, his eventual acceptance and admission of his homosexuality, his decent
into alcoholism, and his involvement with the legendary troupe Monty Python's
Flying Circus.
Co-director Bill Jones is the son of Terry Jones--yes, that
Terry Jones--both of whom were present for the screening and Q&A.
And yes, you read that right: Cameron Diaz is involved,
although you'll have to buy a ticket to find out how...
The filmmakers were able to solicit the participation of all
surviving Pythons, except Eric Idle, a fact not addressed in any of the
publicity or during the post-screening Q&A (I was going to ask the question
myself, but just assumed from the flurry of hands around me that someone else
had thought of it first. No one did, apparently...). As of this writing, the subject remains
unanswered, and odd, because of all of the ex-Pythons, Idle is the one most
committed to keeping their legacy in the public eye, in virtually any medium
(he didn't call it "The Greedy Bastard Tour" for nothing).
It made for a riotous communal evening after an exhausting
week of Malickian tone poems and auteur-letdowns (I'm pointing at you, Mr.
DePalma), affording those who possessed the sold-out ticket the unique
opportunity to engage in a sing-a-long rendition of "Sit On My Face (And
Tell Me That You Love Me"), something I've somehow managed to heretofore
miss...
© Robert J. Lewis 2012
