Steve Coogan and his best friend second-fiddle Rob Brydon are making a film adaptation of Laurence Sterne's novel Tristram Shandy. Steve plays Tristram Shandy as he comments as Tristram. Jennie is his assistant. The filming isn't going very well and they recruit Gillian Anderson for the part of Widow Wadnam.I love Steve Coogan and usually like his collaboration with Rob Brydon. I like the opening scene with the two men bantering. The idea of a film within a film can be loads of fun. Somehow, I can't find the humor in this. Steve Coogan as a fetus should be hilarious but I found it a little disturbing. Steve nails it on the head when he asks why the camera couldn't be turned upside down. The logic inside me thought the uterus could be placed horizontally. This should be funny but maybe I was having a bad day.

I had never heard of the novel that this was based on.The director Micheal Winterbottom has done a few decent films.This is not one of them.There were a few humorous moments BUT enough of themI am not a Television watcher, so I am unfamiliar with Steve Coogan.Let me be kind & say I will not go out of my way to watch any other film he was in.I also was confused many times in watching this, as I was not sure what was happening.This had a short run on a few screens in 2006. To those who missed it, you did not miss anything.Ratings: ** (out of 4) 64 points (out of 100) IMDb 5 (out of 10)

Answer: You don't. You film the 'filming' of the unfilmable. The initial statement has to be made that I am a fan of the smart and hilarious book by Laurence Sterne, but you cannot approach this film as an adaptation or you will be disappointed. In its own genius way, as brilliantly written as it is by screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce (probably my pick for most under-appreciated screenwriter currently working), the film captures much of the cheeky spirit of the novel.Steve Coogan is perfect for this role, although perhaps not as obviously right for it as he was for Tony Wilson in Winterbottom's (and Boyce's) masterpiece "24 Hour Party People". That film shares much in common with "Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story", most obviously the fact that both films break the fourth wall ("24 Hour Party People" does it more directly, admittedly).One needs to approach this film with basically no prior expectations to like it, really. It's a unique film, and perhaps an acquired taste, but I imagine it helps if you're not expecting anything particular from it. There's no point in talking about the film in more detail- just see it for yourself.8/10

if you loved oceans 12, you're probably going to love this one. it has the same constant muttering of movie stars, haphazard scenes flung together, god-awful smugness, and random cozey-talks that goes nowhere. which is why i don't like this movie. it actually has a few bright moments, e.g when actual parts of the book is strung up. but they're watered out with too much middle-movie nonsense. as for the "novelty" of being a film about making an impossible book into a movie... thats already been done so much better.its called "adaption". go see that one if you like the idea of this movie, but didn't like oceans 13.