Sharp, Ballsy Satire is Often Undeservedly Overlooked

Rating: 9/10 (9 September 2011)

If the story of Christianity's roots is eternal, so too should be anyone brave enough to parody it. This, the British troupe's second cinematic expedition, is neither as carelessly silly as "The Holy Grail" nor as manic and sketch-heavy as "The Meaning of Life," but it's every bit as funny in its own dryly sarcastic way. Though it might not be as immediately gratifying as its peers, I've come to appreciate "Brian" as the Pythons' best-written picture over the years, with a razor-sharp wit playing excellently alongside the requisite amounts of lunacy and brow-furrowing topics of conversation. And, though it's clearly a product of the late '70s in many ways, its not-so-subtle warnings against blind faith in any organization (or the men at the helm) is still very relevant in today's world. It isn't the non-stop jaunt through the funhouse that you might expect from this cast, yet "Brian" delivers no less efficiently in different ways, especially during its hilariously bleak song and dance finale.