NOTORIOUS C.H.O.
2002 - USA

Director: Lorene Machado 
Starring: Margaret Cho

- Reviewed by Linda

Notorious C.H.O. When comedian Margaret Cho's previous concert film I'm the One That I Want screened at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2000, it was such a huge hit with festival-goers that it was a runner-up for the Golden Space Needle Award, and had the highest audience rating of any American film at the festival. To return the love, Cho brought a film crew back to Seattle to film a night of raucous humor and social commentary at the Paramount Theatre. The result of that evening: Notorious C.H.O., an eyebrow-raising, side-splittingly funny document of one night of comedy.

With her trademark raunchy brand of storytelling, Cho as a performer tests the audience to find the line of their comfort zone… then brashly steps directly over it. Not for the easily flustered and faint of heart (I'm really really warning you here—don't say I didn't!), her extremely graphic humor touches upon themes such as S&M sex clubs, menstruation, eating disorders, the elusive G-spot, self-esteem, and sexuality spanning all colors of the rainbow. Let's just say that Cho throws open the door on subjects that, well, "nice" folks normally don't discuss in full detail in front of a few thousand of their friends.

As Notorious C.H.O. is simply a concert movie, this is a film for those of us that couldn't make it her live shows, as well as a nice little souvenir of the tour for those who did. So don't go expecting a "movie" movie. The filming is basically static, with her on stage. Plus there are the occasional jokes that fall flat, as well as the lulls that are to expected in any live performance.

But with her crack impersonations, including her show-stopping facial-contorting vocalizations of her now-infamous Korean mother, Margaret Cho's brand of comedy will not only make you scream with laughter, recognition, and sometimes shock, but her warmth and genuine affection for her audience will have you, too, cheering at the end.

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