Dress to Kill

In Dress to Kill, Eddie Izzard spins free-flowing jokes about San Francisco (where the comedy concert was filmed), transvestitism, squirrels, American optimism, Hitler, the British royal family, mass murder, and Stonehenge--and that's only the first 30 minutes. It's as if this ingenious comedian says whatever comes off the top of his head, but giving that impression demands cunning and skill; Izzard romps through human history and transforms surprisingly complex ideas into biting satire--as well as knockout bits of sublime frivolity, like describing the movie Speed entirely in French. His mercurial patter is sprinkled with four-letter words, but his twinkling glances make this more mischievous than crude. Izzard has delivered some excellent performances in movies (like Velvet Goldmine and The Cat's Meow), but it's on stage that he really explodes with daffy wit and charisma. Simply brilliant and completely addictive; you will want to watch this over and over. --Bret Fetzer