Enjoyable Culture-Clash Comedy
582871
2 DAYS IN PARIS isn't going to be the kind of film to win any Oscars; its subject-matter is a familiar one (the American floundering in a foreign culture), and the conclusion equally predictable.  Nonetheless Julie Delpy's film does have its incidental pleasures, notably two winning central performances from Delpy herself as Marion and Adam Goldberg (as Jack).  Although different as chalk from cheese, they nonetheless try to sustain their love-affair in the face of almost insuperable obstacles - Marion's overbearing, non-English-speaking parents, a bohemian ex-boyfriend of Marion (Daniel Bruhl), plus a host of other impediments - imagined or otherwise - that befall Jack's stay in Paris.  The film takes some predictable potshots at Americans abroad; their monolingualism, their expectations that everyone should think like them, irrespective of cultural differences; and their obsession with private as opposed to public issues.  On the other hand the French are not immune from criticism either; Lukas (Bruhl) is portrayed as a libertine paying scant regard for such things as reliability or privacy.  The film's conclusion is predictable enough, with the lovers vowing to separate yet unable to do so, but it has been an enjoyable trip along the way.
2035651
This is a nice, light easy to read fun novel.

Lovers of this genre will enjoy it.

It's old-fashioned British humour. Farce. Mildly satirical stuff. A bit naughty, but nothing that's going to offend most of us.

The characters are straight out on a 1970s British sitcom - with all the usual eccentric suspects in an English village, including the No 1 caricature, the Major and the Lady in the local manor. Throw in a newspaper reporter, a farmer who has turned to hole farming to make a living and  a sexy young planner/art expert, and you have the right ingredients for a comic romp.

The difference with this and a 1970s sitcom, however, is these people all inhabit a contemporary world -- with computers, mobile phones and Angry Birds. All these characters combine to remind us we're not doing the time warp  (though some of the them have the right garb to dress correctly for that gig.)

When it's decided the town needs a bypass to beat that scourge of our times - traffic congestion -- the fun starts.

Throw in some interesting subplots, like a cameo entrance of a famous artist, and the main plot, as they say, thickens.

I have to say I found the Point-of-View style adopted by the writer not to my taste.

But the omnipresent style does achieve a big goal: you know how different people are thinking in particular scenes and this can be used to great comedic effect.
326125
4.2 stars

Jefferies has definitely listened to plenty of Bill Hicks' religious material, but adds his own gleefully misogynistic take on things while drinking four pints of lager as the show progresses. All in the name of a good time, mind you, though Jim confesses that he's always hated life and found it dull and pointless. Good start for a comedian!

He seems to have a pretty good time though, even when discussing his lack of endowment down under. His Aussie roots are clear enough from his bashing of the Sheila sub-species, but he's likeable enough to not offend.

He drops the f's constantly, so beware, and if you're easily offended, this will easily offend. But it's worth watching for any fans of honest comedy and uninhibited wrath at all and sundry. There's plenty of truth here, however uncomfortable, and that's always a good thing.
802634
Born in 1960, Yasmina Reza is perhaps best known for her wickedly funny ART, a satire on the intellectual pretensions of both the art world and its detractors. Produced in New York in 2009, GOD OF CARNAGE is similar in that raises the question of how civilized we supposedly civilized westerners are and then bites the head off every possible response. It is sharp and clever and interesting stuff. It is also, at least in my opinion, in the theatrical minor leagues--not because of the author's skill, but because of the short span of time she allows herself in which to set up the premise, develop the characters, and send them flying at each other.

The play concerns two married couples. Alan and Annette are well-to-do, upper-middle-class rather than rich, with Alan owning and managing a home supply-type store. Michael and Veronica are flatly rich, Michael an attorney who represents drug manufacturers and Vernonica a self-styled author who works part time in a specialty book store. They might easily have met at a cocktail party, or a book signing, or a similar venue, but it is their sons who have bought them together. Both are boys, both are about eleven years old, and they recently had a playground scuffle in which Alan and Annette's son took a stick and hit Michael and Veronica's son across the face, with a cut lip and two broken teeth the result.

The two couples have met at Michael and Veronica's home to discuss what should be done. Both Alan and Annette feel their son should take responsibility for his act; Michael and Veronica are slightly more diffident, but they too feel the boys should meet and an apology should be given. Everything is very friendly, all four give the impression of head-shaking bemusement, and within minutes the covert stabs begin. At first these center on the children and the degree of guilt involved, but with a little alcohol, and one too many interruptions from Michael's cell phone, and the discovery that Veronica recently released her daughter's hamster to a certain death, all hell breaks loose.

At first it seems the couples will unite against each other, but in short order the alliances begin to shift back and forth. It becomes apparent that neither marriage is particularly happy. After a certain point, it transpires that Alan and Veronica have background on Africa--Alan, who has been there and see it for himself, Veronica, who has studied it extensively for a book project. Suddenly the battle transforms from "whose child" to "whose civilization," and the play cumulates in a riot of accusations and tulip tossing.

If this sounds good--it is, but the trouble with it is that it has a run time of ninety minutes. It is rather difficult to accept the notion that these four people could manage to make such a rapid leap from cheerful and friendly to drunken and vicious within the first half hour of the play, still more difficult to accept that they could become so barbed without Alan and Annette simply solving the problem by walking out. But what most hurts the play is the fact that Reza crams too much into her self-imposed time. As one issue gives way to another, we simply don't have the time to see, to understand, and the resulting play feels as superficially intellectual as her own characters. It is a pity.

Gary Taylor
In Memory of Roscoe
Faithful Companion, 1999-2011
4569427
Chelsea is a young woman from California, an ex-surfer, intelligent but insecure, beautiful but more than a bit clumsy (when it comes to physical as well as social skills). Jeremy is British, highbrow (nicknamed Mr. High Tea by Chelsea) and gorgeously handsome. The two are neighbors and their encounters range from the snarky to the snooty to physical (though unintentional) confrontations. There seems to be no common ground and yet Chelsea and Jeremy are thrown together and forced to deal with each other. Add an interfering albeit loving mother and best friend, a distant, even cruel, father to the mix and we watch the two romp and stomp from one fateful encounter to the other. HIGH TEA & FLIP-FLOPS is a lighthearted romantic comedy with a serious undertone. It is both funny and at times poignant. The author created two flawed, genuine, and memorable characters. This romantic comedy is a delight to read and if you want to have a good laugh (many good laughs, actually), this is the book for you.
737942
Rowan Atkinson began the Black Adder series set in medieval days, with Edmund Blackadder being a man of few morals and high ambitions. He's heir to the Duke of York and has to deal with a bumbling servant Baldrick as well as the less-than-helpful Percy. Both of these characters follow him through pretty much the entire series.

I find the series to be *incredibly* funny, but there is definitely a difference between what many Americans find to be funny and what British find to be funny. I love British humor. It is often very dry and cynical, and also a lot of times you have to have some education / background to understand it. That is, if you actually know something about British history you'll pick up on a ton of superbly funny in-jokes that might otherwise pass you by.

For example, in one of the episodes a general comment is made about a person being better off dead, and two Knights Templar decide that they should race right off and kill the person. This is based on an actual situation in English history. There are witches cackling around cauldrons giving out messages, another staple in English drama.

Yes, a few of the jokes go towards the slapstick kind of silly versus the more erudite kind. There is something for everyone.

Highly recommend for anyone who loves British comedy!
977484
Bamboo Blade is an anime released in 2007 and is based on the Japanese manga of the same name.  Written by Masahiro Totsuka and released under the direction of Hisashi Saitou, Blade tells the story of Kojiro, a comically unlucky high school kendo sensei tasked with the training of five girls.

To begin with, it should be noted that my personal preference concerning series-style anime falls aggressively outside of this particular genre.  My favorites are Samurai Champloo, Afro Samurai, and Ergo Proxy, to name a few.  The are clearly successful but mainstream titles.  Because of this, I thought I'd do well to broaden my horizons and picked up Bamboo Blade on some instinctual whim.  This can be blamed partially on the cover art but mostly in an attempt to find something my wife would enjoy with me.  She's Japanese and leans a bit more towards the bubbly side of anime.

Neither of us were disappointed.

The show is oddly funny and I like that.  Sometimes cheeky but more often sly, the jokes pop up randomly and are finely executed.  My wife finds a bit more humor in the show than I do but I often catch myself laughing and looking forward to certain characters because of it.  Dan-kun, for example, is voiced expertly by Akira Ishida and an absolute joy to listen to.  So much so that I'll be looking for works with his involvement specifically.  The man is funny.

The animation is top shelf considering the show's length and it's obvious that great effort was put into making Bamboo Blade look as nice as it does.  I think there's a token structure here regarding the character designs but the detail in the clothing and environments leave nil to be desired.  It's of some interest to me, also, that the animation style will change within an episode depending on the mood.  The majority of the work is of the solid anime-style animation, but when the mood turns goofy, so does the penciling.  I imagine the switch is prevalent in anime but it's not something I'm used to and I've found it a refreshing wiggle.

The character development is legitimate regardless of the simple storyline.  It all boils down to five girls training in kendo, which is fairly unremarkable, but as the show progresses they become cleverly individualized through their own background stories and nuances.  Miya-Miya, for example, moves along at an intriguing pace and I was excited to learn more about her as the show worked towards its climax.

It was also nice to learn a little about kendo.  As with any sport, especially in uptight Japan, there are tried practices and procedures to be adhered to and it seems they've exhibited a dedication to these here.  They break down the steps, the swings, the pain, and the bouts.  You'll learn a little about the gear and a lot about their battle-screams.  If you're interested in kendo, this could be worth your time.

Now, if you're a highly conservative parent and are planning on handing this off to your child, you may want to do some online reviewing of the content.  Note that I said, "highly conservative", though.  There are teenage Japanese girls in their school attire which can be titillating for some, I imagine.  The skirts are short and the show tends to showcase that lack of fabric on occasion.  You don't see underwear but there are implications.  Legs and breasts are zoomed in on here and there but it never gets nasty.  Just be warned.

In the end, I think my only complaint would be the flat plot.  There's not much flare in the everyday and this show definitely focuses on the everyday.  As I said before, however, the characters and humor written in more than make up for this.

Considering the low prices I'm seeing on Amazon, I'd recommend adding this to your library.

Thanks for your time,

- t
4317545
Having a close friend who is from England, I have been somewhat drawn to English humor as it reminds me of my friends across the pond.  I caught an episode of Little Britain late night on BBC America and thought it had potential.  Since I didn't have BBC America at my apartment I decided to spend the money in hopes that the dvd was funny.  Me and a few friends got together and watched the season in one sitting.  We laughed like crazy for most of the night.  If you have never been to England or do not know anyone who is from England, you might not find Little Britain to be as hysterical as the rest of us, but you will still get a good laugh.  I especially enjoy the Prime Minister skits and Dafyd the only Gay in the village.  The sketches about Scotland are ignorable, but luckly the dvd special features allow you to pick which characters you like and only watch thier segments.  In conclusion, I found Little Britain overall to be a lot funnier than I had anticipated.  Some episodes are funnier than others, but you should get a good laugh.  Definitely worth purchasing if you are a fan of English humor.
2719175
I love this show for its witty, unique style of comedy.  The cat burgler style of the bulk of episodes is unique and fun.  Dark gets involved in a lot of heists that seem to always spell extra trouble.  The supporting cast is well fleshed and fun as well.

The overall love story aspect is wonderfully written and I for one was very happy to see the two 'true lovers' end up together.  Packs a lot of nightime heist action with some supernatural elements and a lot of fun.

Pros: Fun, funny, interesting, great characters
Cons: Cartoony at times, can be cheesy

Viewing preference: Japanese with English subtitles
1542018
The humorous and sympathetic depiction of this band of off-the-books immigrants to Australia does not neglect the poignancy of there individual struggles.  They are willing to risk everything to start a new life, each for his own reasons. Part of the humor comes from the degree to which most of them are ill-prepared for the journey and perhaps deluded by their imagined role in the new society to which they aspire. The isolated Australian coastal desert on which they are dumped instantly assaults their expectations of a large civilized Western democratic center (here played by a Perth that we never actually see). The survival instinct and ingenuity of the three men, one each from Iraq, Cambodia and Thailand, is inspiring. The actors were very adept and believable, with good comedic performances that still preserved the plausible seriousness of each characters circumstances. For those of us who hop into our cars or on a train each morning and quickly arrive at an air-conditioned and well equipped office, the existential risk encountered by each of these three would likely defeat us.  It is interesting to compare the inactivity of the locals to the frantic scramble for survival of the immigrants.  The film seems to be solidly of the opinion that Australia will be the better for allowing these guys to join in.  The three members of the military squad sent to find the lost and confused immigrants were themselves examples of a successfully blended multi-cultural group. Their is not an unhappy ending, but we can't really predict what the father of the Cambodian young man will do when he realizes who is at his door. I came away hopeful.
1047089
American moviegoers, I am sad to say, have a tendency to think of comedy only in broad terms. If a film isn't filled with bawdy jokes or slapstick humor, then it can't possibly be really funny, right?

Wrong.

"The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain" is a gentle comedy about simple people in a small Welsh village during World War I who take great pride in the mountain in whose valley the town is located. But when two British surveyors come to measure the mountain as a part of the war effort, the townsfolk are dismayed to discover that -- at least by the British standards -- their mountain is only a hill. Of course, the Welsh will do anything to ensure that their mountain is deemed a mountain.

Underlying the humor of this film is the poignancy of a community that is trying to hold on to its identity in the face of a war that has devastated the population and has left the community something of a shadow of its former self. They have lost men in war -- some killed, some who come back shell-shocked -- and so they do what they can and what they must in order to hang on to their identity. The scene in which a shell-shocked young man journeys up the mountain during a thunderstorm is particularly moving.

Although the Brits can do broad, over-the-top comedy as well as anyone else (Monty Python comes to mind), they also have the knack of doing small, gentle comedies as well as, if not better, than anyone else. And the scenery of Wales is absolutely breathtaking.
770225
This is smart comedy, the kind that comes back around on itself later in the performance. The show is laid out in 3 parts: the 1st half is the Old Testament, the 2nd half is the New Testament and the encore is the Book of Revelation. It's quirky, and a mild appreciation of British humour will help to make it even funnier.  If you don't like British humour, he's still funny, but you might find some parts a little out there or just stupid.  I didn't.  This guy is hilarious.  He is a cross-dresser though, so if you have issues with that, you'll need to get past it to really enjoy the performance.
3398053
The characters in Coupling are wonderfully quirky and interesting. The dialog is quick and witty. Despite the characters' somewhat implausible friendships as a group - the clever writers pull it off and the resulting repartee is terrifically funny.
The DVD includes the Episodes: Flushed; Size Matters; Sex Death and Nudity; Inferno; The Girl with Two Breasts; and The Cupboard of Patrick's Love
Wait till you hear about "Wobble Wars"! :-D
The characters are six thirty-something friends who are involved, formerly involved, or potentially will be involved with one another.
Susan is beautiful, bright, secure and sexy tart.
Jane is a nitwit completely oblivious to social tact and often oblivious in general.
Sally is pretty, but shallow, insecure, and vain. She is obsessed with appearance and aging (primarily her own but she also delights in critiquing other women).
Steve is a bit neurotic but the closest to "normal" in this bunch.
Jeff is a lunatic who has never had a normal healthy relationship with a women. Typically when he is around attractive women his brain disengages and he stammers himself into impossible-to-explain situations. Jeff has his own unique views on life and has named some of life's most arcane occurrences ("the sock gap" etc.). Naturally he has to explain this stuff to his friends.
Patrick is a lothario who is the antithesis of political correctness.
This is the funniest show on television - period. I regularly laugh out loud especially at Steve and Patrick's reactions to Jeff's absurdity. How many laugh-out-loud funny shows are there on television really? The humor is at times British but that only contributes to Coupling's charm.
Coupling is probably not appropriate for young children and the character's topic of discussions are frequently sexual in nature.
Hysterically funny show! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
2801709
This 2 disc set features six episodes from the 1972 season of this BBC controversial series:- To Garnett a Grandson; Pigeon Fancier; Holiday in Bournemouth; Dock Pilfering; Up the Hammers; and, Alf's Broken Leg - all of which are about 30~32 minutes, plus the bonus 45 minute Christmas Episode, also from 1972. ( Totaling aprox 225 mins ). The sound is obviously mono, but the picture is surprisingly sharp considering it's age. Unfortunately there are no sub-titles or closed captions which is a problem with many of the re-issued British Tv dramas from the Bfs, Acorn, A&E group.
  The humour is quite crude, but blisteringly funny in places, albeit racist and anti semantic - I remember first seeing these on a weekday mid-evening time slot whilst I was at hi-school, but now that I understand the humour more, I find it to be quite compelling - even though the political humour is definately dated.
  I gave this four stars only as I felt that more episodes could have filled up the disc space...
  If you are liberally minded and understand British humour - then you should enjoy this.
2085605
The Burqa Master by Cid Andrenelli is a satirical, tongue-in-cheek look at the lives of a multi-generational Persian family living in a cramped apartment in London. The comedy is told in the style of a play with literary elements of a novel. As a film maker myself and also having participated in theatrical productions in the past, I found the read to be quite entertaining.

The characters in the story are colourful and outrageous. From the old man, a diabetic religious man who spews out sermons to cleanse the unholiness surrounding him while his ghetto blaster blares out prayer chants; his son Hamid who devises a plan to make some money and have a little fun which involves wearing a Burqa dress (an outfit that covers a woman from head to toe--only revealing her eyes) while giving private "English" lessons to Iranian housewives; his son-in-law Abbas who proclaims that he has converted to Buddhism and obsesses with all things Japanese; his grandson Hosro who calls him Baba (Dad) and listens to his ranting and crazy schemes; and finally his pet dog Turin (later named Cyrus), an animal he declares are forbidden to have inside the house due to their religious beliefs-- only contradicting himself later when he proclaims that the dog is the only one who listens to him which is why he purchases a dog basket and permanently places it on top of Hamid's bed. The events that transpire are hilarious at times and sad at others. Although there is humour in the calamity that the old man finds himself in, we find later that there is a terrible event in his life, one that changed his and his family's life forever causing them to run away from their home in Tehran to England... a secret which he has been keeping from his children all these years.

I truly laughed from the bottom of my stomach (guffawed actually) at the antics of the old Persian man, Turin (or Cyrus) his little most hated (most loved) dog, Hamid the Burqa master, Abbas his wanna-be Japanese converted Buddhist son-in-law and the rest of the characters. The satire in the story reminded me of a favourite old British comedy "<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/On-the-Buses-The-Ultimate-Collection/dp/B000FOQ04Q/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">On the Buses: The Ultimate Collection</a>" albeit with a Persian twist.  Cid Andrenelli's writing is lively and provocative--she mixes humour with cultural and family drama along with a dash of religious parody. I hope that this story ends up on the big screen some day or on stage. I anticipate reading or watching more of the author's work in the future. I foresee the author producing more of her work in multi-mediums (novels, plays and films) as she has the talent and creativity to do this very well.
1905683
The basic plot of this movie has been done 1,000 times (fish out of water learns to love the locals) but it's a fun two hours to watch it play out in modern-day Shanghai. There are a few early scenes of the arrogant impatient American, but the movie quickly moves onto a few of the more subtle issues that arise when the two business cultures come into contact.

It's a  movie that is built around generalizations and finds its comedy by making fun of stereotypes. So, if you're sensitive to broad generalizations about (either) American or Chinese cultures be prepared to be mildly offended from time to time. All the common "laowai" archetypes are here: the "old hand" who couldn't make it in America but hit it big in China; the naive American businessman newcomer; the English teacher out to hit on Chinese women; the businessman who's a little *too* enthralled by Chinese culture. There also are some lovely scenes of a great city (Shanghai); the skylines of Pudong and the Bund should get Oscars for best supporting actors.  Highly recommended for expats living in (or considering a move to) China, so-so for everyone else.
3048426
The Princess and the Pizza Man has been a pleasant surprise. I don't normally read this type of books, and I ended up discovering a well written comedy, that I appreciated and enjoyed.
The story is simple and light, the setting is deliberately unrealistic, while the characters are vivid, brilliant, well developed, possessing the strong personality traits typical of a theatrical setting.
Their interactions are always entertaining, the narration flows at a good pace, with a few twists that avoid the risk of being obvious. The overall result is hilarious and engaging.
The Princess and the Pizza Man is the perfect companion for a relaxing and entertaining reading experience, providing light moments and a few laughs that lighten the spirit and leave the reader with a smile.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. Opinions and comments are solely my own