“Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story”
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HBO, $27.98
Who’s in it: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Gillian Anderson
Recap: This clever film adaptation of Laurence Sterne’s brilliant but unfilmable (and, for some, unreadable) novel ups the self-referential levels to hilarious heights by focusing instead on the making of a movie based on an unfilmable book.
Best extra: The commentary track with stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon is every bit as funny as their vain exchanges throughout the movie itself.
Secrets revealed: On the yak track, Coogan and Brydon claim to be recording their comments in the buff, save for a belt and a scarf, respectively.
Feature to skip: Make it to the end of Tony Wilson’s interview with Coogan (who played Wilson in “24 Hour Party People”), and you’ll hear someone suggest that the best bits of the interview be integrated into the film itself–which they are.
Trivia: To this day, no one is sure whether or not Sterne finished his serialized novel or died before its completion.
If you liked this, try: Reading “The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman.” In the words of one scholar quoted in the film, it was “postmodern before there was anything modern to be post about.”
RATING: 4 PLAYS
“Yi Yi”
Criterion, $39.95
Who’s in it: Nianzhen Wu, Elaine Jin, Kelly Lee
Recap: Edward Yang’s masterful depiction of the life of one Taiwanese family over the course of a year gets deeper and richer the more time you spend with it.
Best extra: Critic Tony Rayns talks about the origin of the New Taiwan Cinema movement, which often reassess the country’s past instead of focusing exclusively on the present.
Secrets revealed: In the 1970s, Yang studied electrical engineering in America to appease his parents before switching to film school.
Feature to skip: The U.S. theatrical trailer doesn’t do the epic film justice.
Trivia: The title “Yi Yi” translates to “one-one” in Chinese, which also means “individually,” underscoring the movie’s multicharacter narrative.
If you liked this, try: “In the Mood for Love,” Wong Kar-Wai’s beautiful depiction of a tentative affair.
RATING: 3 PLAYS
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