Margaret Cho: I'm the One That I Want

Ahhh, you're in for a treat. This woman has something to say and she says it in the best ways possible-- funny, edgy, self-effacing, step off buddy, been-there and Hi, I'm baaaack.

And just in time. I love you, Margaret Cho. I've heard the ass master bit fifteen, twenty times, and you still make me laugh. God bless you.

It's interesting how easily male stand-up comedians slip into their eponymous network sitcoms, and how difficult it is to fit a female comedian into one. Cho gives us her story, and then she gives us her new mantra-- I'm the one that I want. This is the kind of tape you'll want to have around, not necessarily because of the humor, but because of the message. If you've never heard of Margaret Cho, then know that she is one of the best around. A 'must see'.

Actress/comedienne Margaret Cho's 1999 concert, filmed before a live audience in San Francisco, catches the wonderfully embittered (and yet still hopeful) comic genius at a professional peak. Regaling against the Hollywood machinery which nearly put her away for good, Cho masterfully segues from stories about her failed TV-sitcom "All American Girl" to side stories and family memories which gives her main theme--being true to yourself--more depth and punch. Smartly opening with rebel grrl music, Cho appears on-stage without any gimmicks (her follow-up concert, "Notorious C. H. O.", added a back-screen which was probably helpful to that audience but a distraction for movie viewers). This concert keeps getting better, with the funniest of the jokes becoming staples in Cho's repertoire. *** from ****

Margaret Cho is a Genius. She has the uncanny ability to talk about very sensitive issues (racism, self image, family, cruelty in the entertainment industry, and of course sex in all of its forms), and make them accessible through sheer hilarity. Her timing is impeccable, her imitations uproarious, and her candor admirable. This movie is an autobiographical account of her life including the failure of her sit-com. Through it all, she is able to show her audience a great deal of vulnerability, and still come out triumphant. I laughed so hard I thought I had gone through a 90 minute abdominal workout.

It's a torrent of self-hate that pours through this scabrously funny ninety-minute concert by the Korean-American comedian Margaret Cho, whose work here is a peak that bears comparison to Chris Rock and Richard Pryor--the tallest praise I can muster. Cho's unclassifiable id--Asian-American omnisexual is a poor sticker for the self she unloads here--can find no name, no resting place, and no club that will have it as a member. Never has alienation been so explosively hilarious. And beyond the content of her work, Cho is a master of her craft, a genius manipulator of silence, long-held muggy faces, microphone-stand grasps, lunges for the water bottle, and sheer stillness. Her precision can be scary. There is a little too much face-pulling and playing to the balcony of Boys' Town (Cho's "I am a faghag!" shtik seems designed to churn up microwaved warmth from her fan base). But there are many moments--especially Cho's rendering of her inexplicably insane-seeming mom--that could stand toe to toe with Lenny Bruce and Pryor at their tops.

I gave this film a 10 rating. I struggled with that, because although I feel that this comedy film is truly outstanding, the pace through me off for a moment or two. She comes on stage in a flash of energy and dives right in with the one liners. I had tears in my eyes. But then around the middle, the stories became more involved, not so funny. But then she gets the motor going again at the end.

The fact is Margaret Cho is the funniest woman alive. I identify with her life so much it scares me. The mother-answering-machine jokes are pee-in-your-pants funny, although a little too long in the tooth. The main reason I gave this film a 10 out of 10 is mainly for the brutal honesty Margaret gives the audience. She can't be making this stuff up!

Some of the highlights of the show are: "Lesbians love whale watching!", " Am I Gay? Am I Straight? No, I'm just easy. Where's my parade?" and the always laughable, "A**Masters" skit. Always a crowd favorite.

After I rented this movie, I went right to the web and bought this disc. I highly recommend this flick to any fan of stand up comedy. The special features are worth the purchase price.