One of the greatest comedies ever

Rating: 10/10 (27 January 2005)

Absolutely the best movie Python put out, even though many will say Holy Grail was better - but I disagree. Both are phenomenally clever, though, so it's a close race. But I choose Brian for two scenes. The brilliance of the stoning scene, and the utter genius of the Latin lesson. Of course, John Cleese is in the middle of both, but do not make the mistake of thinking he carries the load; Palin's characters in the movie shine on their own (especially the sermonizer, with his long, drawn-out description of the thing they cannot find from the night before...that has an attachment), Idle is brilliant in his multiple roles (Ten shekels, you must be mad!), and the list just goes on. Perhaps the least-funny of all characters is Brian himself, but even here, Chapman's acting is superb in playing the straight man for all the jokes (which must have been tough for him!). Blasphemy? Don't be ridiculous. Even the most dogmatic would see that the movie does not poke fun at Christ; rather, it pokes fun at all of us who follow blindly, regardless of the contrary evidence put before us.