Jim Carrey's got guts. Since his neophyte brilliant days on In Living Color, he always puts it all out there. No truer than in his latest, I Love You Phillip Morris, a based-on-a-true-story romp about a talented liar, Steven Russell, who falls in love with a fellow inmate, P.M., played by Ewan MacGregor. This is such a fun, quirky, unpredictable farce (if autobiographical can also be farcical). I took younger son to see it, neither of us knowing too much about it. Those with our heterosexual orientation were in the theatre's minority, and it only added to the fun to hear the biggest laughs coming from the gay crowd, such as over Russell's line: "What people don't realize is, it costs A LOT of money to be gay in Miami Beach!" (that's more of an essential quote than a verbatim one). It does strike me odd that an entire audience finds itself giggling slightly when two gays express real passion and love for each other. I suspect we'll evolve beyond that.
Both son and I enjoyed the film. No deep themes here. One reviewer called this a dramedy. I saw it as all comedy. Many, if not most, of the laughs would have even worked in a hetero-paradigm. Carrey carries the job so well, as does E. M. Doggone it, I bought their entire relationship. I think this film will grow on me the more I think about it. Might even see it again!
Jim Carrey is awesome. He was fantastic in his early slapstick. Loved the Mask and Ace Ventura series. Lots of fun. He was even better, in my mind, in The Truman Show. I can only imagine how great he is in this one.
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