Monty
Python was arguably the most versatile of comic troupes. Each of its members
displayed an abundant range of creative poses and vocal deliveries in addition
to wry intelligence. While their act is undeniably outlandish, there's
something very subtle about the performances and how the actors interacted that
made everything work. Perhaps that's why a majority of the individual efforts
after the British ensemble had disbanded lacked the same flair. A noted
exception to this is A Fish Called Wanda, a film that channels much
of the effortless wit and energy of Monty Python's work but with its
own personality.
A Fish Called Wanda's Monty Python influence comes primarily from John
Cleese, who stars in and wrote the screenplay about four London jewel thieves
chasing some elusive loot after their master plan goes awry. Also on hand from
Python-land is Michael Palin, here playing Ken Pile, a stutterer and an animal
lover—two attributes that make him the butt of a hefty number of the film's
jokes. As Palin hams it up with yet another of his famously nervous characters,
Cleese plays the straight man, a barrister brilliantly named Archie Leach.
Initially this proves an odd fit for the actor, who so often commands the
screen with exaggerated annunciation and body language. But once Archie becomes
entangled in the thieves' scheme, Cleese slowly teases out a confection of
classic looks and one-liners that rivals the actor's finest work.
