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One of my all time favorites.

Nice effects though.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

A Cock and Bull Story is another collaboration between Steve Coogan and director Michael Winterbottom. They had combined to extremely successful effect in their earlier film about Tony Wilson and the Madchester scene, 24 Hour Party People (2002). Here, they go down a slightly more experimental road with a look at film-makers and actors trying to adapt an 18th century classic novel hitherto considered unfilmable, namely 'The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, Gentleman' by Laurence Sterne. It appears that quite a lot of the negative reviews directed at this one come quite often from people who thought they were going to see an actual attempt at adapting this book, which is a fair enough assumption I guess given the title and poster. But it only is this for the first half-an-hour or so and then becomes a film about the making of the adaption, it ultimately results in a movie which fails to bring to the screen a novel which people said could never be brought to the screen, which is a reasonable idea I reckon. So it is best to go into this one knowing what it's not going to be. As it transpires it is practically plot-less which centres on Coogan playing a version of himself dealing with some minor dramas and squabbles behind the scenes of the movie-making. It's a wilfully loose approach which seemingly mirrors the novel which was pioneering in its flippant disregard to conventional narrative expectations of its day.All this is well and good but what makes it truly work is that it is that rare thing, a genuinely funny comedy. Coogan and co-star Rob Brydon – who also played similar versions of themselves in Winterbottom's TV series 'The Trip' - work fantastically well together. They have superb comic chemistry, their constant bickering over all manner of trivial matters is proper laugh-out loud stuff much of the time. It feels quite ad-libbed as well, with an extremely amusing sequence of the pair of them doing Al Pacino impressions over the end credits being a particularly funny example. Brydon is especially amusing in this film, with his periodic impressions of Coogan being another highlight. While Coogan's nightmare of Brydon being the star of the movie with Gillian Anderson on his arm while sporting a Roger Moore voice, was just too funny. Coogan himself has an uproarious inspired scene all to himself where he practices acting out what it would be like having a hot chestnut drop down his trouser-leg only to then try the real thing to hilarious effect. There are many other individual moments of inspired comedy to be found here too and this is one of the few movies where the deleted scenes on the DVD simply have to be watched also! The cast is fleshed out by a great ensemble of talented actors, many of which from British TV and everyone puts in a good turn. This is one of those films whose post-modern approach sort of makes it difficult to explain very well in words and which really needs to be seen in order to understand. Its well worth taking a punt with this one though as it provides great comic acting within what is a pretty original framework. It's essentially another impressive success from Winterbottom, Coogan and Brydon.

I had never heard of the novel that this was based on.The director Micheal Winterbottom has done a few decent films.This is not one of them.There were a few humorous moments BUT enough of themI am not a Television watcher, so I am unfamiliar with Steve Coogan.Let me be kind & say I will not go out of my way to watch any other film he was in.I also was confused many times in watching this, as I was not sure what was happening.This had a short run on a few screens in 2006. To those who missed it, you did not miss anything.Ratings: ** (out of 4) 64 points (out of 100) IMDb 5 (out of 10)

Like Michael Winterbottom's earlier film 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, this is a genre-defying English film that's part adaptation of Laurence Stern's Tristram Shandy and part an on-set comedy about film-making.It stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. In their opening exchange - sitting in the make-up chair, waiting to go on-set - Brydon wonders what colour his teeth are ("Tuscan Sunset, pub ceiling"). They're making a film of Tristram Shandy, though what we see of their adaptation never really gets beyond the title character's birth as it continually digresses into such areas as Tristram's conception, his Uncle Toby's military exploits and how to use the new forceps at Tristram's delivery. Coogan also plays both the narrator Shandy and his own father, Walter.This is part of the film's ingenious and enjoyable approach, designed to bewilder and alienate as many of the audience as it impresses. Also some of the jibes about Coogan's TV alter-ego Alan Partridge may be lost on a non-British audience. There's a terrific supporting cast, including Jeremy Northam as the director, Ian Hart as the film's screenwriter, Dylan Moran as the doctor, Kelly McDonald as Coogan's live-in girlfriend and Gillian Anderson as Gillian Anderson. Here's a film that's clever without being remotely pretentious.

Steve Coogan, having wowed all with the send-up of Reactionary England that is Alan Partridge, ponders what he will do next.Stephen Fry, channelling the hurt of the Native Americans dug up in the excellent TV show QI, communicates with Partridge via telekinesis. He suggests they show off by making a literary adaptation.This is a joke.Partridge protests at the last paragraph, insisting that "A Cock and Bull Story" is considerably more amusing than it. I smush him. Nonetheless, the film became legion, making lots of people watch.Somewhere, a young man vomits.