By Eok Ngo

Presenting: The Aristocrats! A family walks into a talent manager's office. The father says “Have I got an act for you”... (what follows is not suitable for children under 18). This classic old burlesque joke is presented in all its glory by filmmakers Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller) with the help of a hundred and one of their closest friends, who happen to be today's great comic minds. But despite the initial laughs that come with the extreme, X-rated nature of the joke, the film does grow a bit tedious with each telling when the comedians just fail to top each other. Though there are a few moments when the film is rescued by the more passionate or unique tellings, the film ultimately fails to earn the audience's attention beyond the first 30 minutes or so.

Using an almost scientific textbook study approach in its presentation, the filmmakers managed to whittle down over a hundred hours worth of casual conversations and interviews into a documentary that stands to be a bastion in the defense of comedy and freedom of expression. Though not without controversy, the titular joke uses subject matter that reaches for the very bottoms of moral decency in the use of incest, bestiality, scatology and plenty of obscenities. But believe it or not, that's not what might keep one from thoroughly enjoying the movie; it's the repetitious nature of the joke in its inability to take that next step up in hilarity.

Sarah Silverman giving her own "personal" take on The Aristocrats joke.
But for all those faults, there are notable highlights amongst the mediocre lot that give life back to the joke, particularly moments involving Gilbert Gottfried, a wonderfully deadpan Phyllis Diller, Bob Saget, Billy the Mime (who wickedly pantomimes the joke in front of unwitting passers-by) and Eric Mead (who puts a unique twist to the joke involving some great sleight of hand and a deck of cards to tell his version).

The casual backstage way in which the film is shot and presented does put the audience in a relaxed state (to the subject matter's benefit). You get the feeling of being invited into a secret world, but you will definitely question whether you want to be a part of it by the end of the film. At no point does the documentary try to convince you to stay, but once you've made it through to the end, you end up feeling both a bit reassured about your own moral compass and yet uncomfortable about why you find amusement in the joke.

There's almost no way to fully describe what to expect in this movie but be prepared to laugh a little, squirm a little, and twiddle your thumbs a little. This is not quite worth the price of theater admission, but it does make a great late night cable program one might stumble across or a DVD rental.

The Aristocrats is unrated and is currently playing in theaters in LA and NY. Expands August 12th.