Two further stabs at the World Cinema Showcase programme: BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM considers another autopsy of French relationships in Francois Ozon's 5 x 2, and the mass vulgarity of too many comedians (and a single, solitary joke) in documentary The Aristocrats.

5 x 2
5 x 2 is yet another depressing look at French relationships. But don’t let that put you off – because those French do it remarkably well. It looks at the disintegration of Marion and Gilles’ marriage – punctuating five of the key moments. The story unfolds backwards starting with the end of the relationship and ending with the start.

The film bears a lot of similarities to Gaspar Noe’s Irrèversible especially in its structure. However this film is a whole lot more subtle than Noe’s totally obvious and slightly juvenile film. True, the relationship moves from anger to joy – but isn’t that how we view relationships when they end? Ozon is suggesting we see the terrible things first and ignore a lot of the brief moments of happiness. The film plays heavily on ellipsis - we see snapshots of their relationship and see how they influenced the end outcome, but have to fill a lot in ourselves. We’re not sure what that outcome is (happiness or despair?), except Ozon is suggesting it’s all important – the good and the bad. The important aspect is that we’ve lived.

However Ozon is not entirely convincing in this aspect. While his intentions are reasonably clear in the film, he does seem to have a dependence on the negative aspects of the relationship. At times there doesn’t seem to be a reason why Marion is in that relationship – the happy moments are all too brief (perhaps the final shot and wedding dance) and are subsumed by the depression. The film is cold as a result – the behaviour slightly clinical (the first scene was one of the most depressing sex/rape scenes I’ve ever seen). While the film is cold, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not affecting. In this respect it bears a strong resemblance to Ingmar Bergman’s masterpiece, Scenes From a Marriage.

The film is remarkably well constructed with beautiful images and sound. Ozon plays with gold and blue images suggesting freedom and entrapment respectively. The music plays slightly light-heartedly element – and also works as a sort of memory flashback. Ozon’s film may distance a lot of viewers – but that’s not necessarily a problem. This is a touching, yet cruel – and perhaps honest – look at modern relationships.

The Aristocrats
Now I could try and make a joke about paedophilia, incest, racism and shitting funny to you readers, but for most people if I tried, you’d probably give me a slap and cast me out from general society. Well there is a joke which incorporates all these elements and has become a legend around the stand-up comedian circuit. The Aristocrat joke is an extremely popular in-joke amongst these funnny-pedlars, and the documentary looks at trying to uncover it.

The documentary features the whos who of modern comedy from Whoopi Goldberg to Billy Connelly to John Stewart. It is frequently hilarious as the comics riff on this starting point. The Aristocrat joke is explained like jazz – the basic structure (I have to be careful when calling it in its original form a joke – it’s blatantly unfunny) is already established but each comedian decides to take it in their own direction. It allows each comedian to attempt to break taboos (in their mind) and also express some of the filth that is swimming across.

This film is not recommended to puritans. Parts are hilarious – in particular Gilbert Godfrey and Bob Saget (scarily). However there are a number of parts that fall flat. Dangerously flat. There is nothing worse than seeing a comedian who think that they’re being offensive and funny, when they’re neither. The film lacks a visual element to make up for those down-times. That said, this film is brutally funny at points and gives an interesting insight into a rather closed society. If you’re prepared to laugh at Bob Saget making a joke about incest, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this film.