Wednesday, September 26, 2007

What Awful People

This scene, from Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits, came to me inexplicably when I woke up this morning. (Shouldn't have eaten so much salsa for dinner). It shows what a great comic actor (Cleese) can do with even a minor part. Apparently Cleese drew inspiration for the role from watching minor British Royals press the flesh at soccer matches. (Excuse me: Football matches!) The last line is really really funny--not for the words so much as the delivery. Probably that's what makes great comic actors great; they can turn lines that, for most people, would be throwaways into something approaching high art. Enjoy.

1 comment:

Seb said...

"And how long have you been robbing?"

"Four foot one, sir."

"Four foot one? That is a long time. Jolly, jolly good."

(NB - "Marian" in this sequence is a man.)