Pros: Carrey, Harris, Emmerich, amazing story, fantastic cinematography, great direction
Cons: the ladies of the film (Linney and McElhone)
The Bottom Line: This is a terrific film. I highly recommend it to fans of comedy and drama alike!
Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie''s plot. I am not a fan of Jim Carrey. I never have been, and I never will be. I can't stand the way he relies on physical humor, especially in his earlier movies. (Hello, Ace Ventura, anyone? Good grief.) It's a shame, because Carrey really showed his acting chops in Man on the Moon. We all know what he is capable of.
The Truman Show is the best film that I have ever seen Carrey in. I really liked The Majestic, too, but The Truman Show is the best Carrey film, hands down. He was robbed of an Oscar for this one, in my humble opinion.
PLOT
Jim Carrey plays Truman Burbank, a man who has lived his entire live on a sound stage, unbeknownst to him. He was adopted by a corporation so that his life could be filmed and broadcast internationally. He has absolutely no clue of his living situation, until strange things start happening to his world.
Truman begins to wonder who he is, and desires to discover life outside of Seahaven. Christof (Ed Harris), the genius that came up with the idea for The Truman Show, gets nervous and does everything in his power to keep Truman in Seahaven. Truman finally realizes that something - or someone - is trying to keep him in Seahaven, and finally makes the decision to "find himself."
CAST
As I mentioned before, Carrey totally deserved an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Truman Burbank. He was robbed by the Academy, he did win the Golden Globe for it. Audiences can't help but connect with Truman, and hope that he discovers the truth.
Ed Harris is amazing, as usual, as the demented Christof. He is so incredibly convincing as the producer, you don't know whether to hate or admire his character. Harris was cast perfectly.
Noah Emmerich (Frequency, Windtalkers) is wonderful as Truman's best friend, Marlon. He is sincere, and his delivery of lines are spectacular. He rounds out a terrific male cast.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the women of the film. Disappointing performances by the leading women, Laura Linney (as Truman's wife, Meryl) and Natascha McElhone (Truman's forbidden love, Lauren), put a slight damper on the film. Fortunately, their scenes are few and far between, and very short. Carrey carries them both on his shoulders through their scenes.
PROPS TO THE WRITER
Andrew Nichol is a genius. We have all felt, at one point or another, that we were being watched. We have all wondered if something was real or not. Nichol, who also wrote Gattaca and The Terminal (along with last year's bomb, Lord of War), exploits our own paranoia by making it the center of his story.
EVEN MORE PROPS TO THE CREW
Since I have worked in film and television, both behind and in front of the camera, I know how difficult it is to get so many different angles. I can't even imagine how many cameras were used in creating this film. The stunts are great, though it isn't really an action movie. And the CGI is flawless-- I didn't even realize that there was CGI until I did a little research on the film for the sake of this review... And I saw it on the big screen twice!
IN CONCLUSION
This movie really brings your emotions on a roller coaster ride. What is so sick about it is that you know that these people are just actors acting like they're actors, yet you still get choked up about in certain areas. It can even make you wonder whether or not your life is real or just someone else's entertainment.
This movie can be watched over and over without getting boring. I highly recommend it to anyone. It is a must-have for any DVD collection.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older
