Review: A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman

As you might have guessed, A Liar’s Autobiography is a dramatisation of Graham Chapman’s not-entirely-factual book. However, before you go expecting two hours of Holy Flying Circus, bear in mind that the whole thing is animated – using only voice actors.

I have the pleasure of watching the film in the Tyneside Cinema‘s Classic Screen – an intimate space with theatre-style seating, great customer service, and the best atmosphere of any cinema in Newcastle.

The film itself is presented in a sketch-like format, with each section of the narrative represented with a different form of animation. Directors Bill Jones, Ben Timlett, and Jeff Simpson manage to collate the schizophrenic pieces of CGI, fumetti, and illustrations into a charmingly endearing whole. Although there are several references to Terry Gilliam’s canonical animation work with Python, none of the animation is actually done by Gilliam.

The Pythons do voice themselves, along with some other characters (including, at points, each other) throughout the film, with the notable exception of Eric Idle. As the script is taken almost directly from Chapman and David Sherlock’s original book, Chapman voices his own character by means of a tape recording made in 1986, three years before his death.

As you may expect from an autobiography there is a healthy dose of early life, from birth up until university, before the narrative jumps to the formation of Monty Python. However – this being the untrue story of Graham Chapman – many key facts are fabricated or embellished for comic effect. His father Walter is voiced by Michael Palin and portrayed as a stern patriarch with a hatred of the books that Chapman so loved, while his mother Edith (gloriously voiced by Terry Jones) is variously referred to as Edith, Beryl, and Betty during the course of the film.

The young Graham is a very well spoken smart-arse, much in the mold of Stewie Griffin – thus it is no surprise when the script reveals that Chapman went to Eton (except he didn’t). The rest of Chapman’s formative years are incredibly entertaining, especially his description of the slow, scientific approach he took to realise his homosexuality. Once the rest of the Pythons enter the film, the truth becomes very closely woven into the fiction.

Some of the highest points of Chapman’s life – meeting and eventually living with David Sherlock; and showbiz parties with such attendees as Keith Moon – are set alongside some very dark passages revolving around Dorian Gray levels of hedonism; and an extended and enlightening depiction of alcohol withdrawal, which has the traits of a Gilliam-directed scene from Trainspotting.

Gratuitous smut, cursing, singing, self-reference, double-entendre, single-entendre, homosexual cartoon sex, and the Pythons depicted as shit-flinging monkeys provide almost constant giggles and sniggers, as well as some truly laugh-out-loud moments.

While the entire film only has the air of Monty Python about it, keen fans will spot direct references to Flying Circus sketches, the Life Of Brian, the Holy Grail, and the Meaning Of Life.

Fans of the Python sense of humour should watch this film – even those who are unconvinced by Holy Flying Circus, Spamalot, and the other unofficial biopics.

A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman is showing at the Tyneside Cinema on Thursday 21 February at 8.45pm – and it’s in 3D! For details, see: tynesidecinema.co.uk