In between the cavalcade of summer blockbuster movies earning millions by the minute (Iron Man 2) and films that make critics cry uncle (Nightmare on Elm Street), there is a beacon of hope for the independent film to thrive this summer. Case in point, I Love You, Phillip Morris, the new comedy starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. You might be thinking, "Is this guy out of his mind praising a Jim Carrey movie over a film like Robin Hood?" Call me crazy, but I am.
I Love You, Phillip Morris is based on the surreal stranger-than-fiction story of Texas con-artist Steven Jay Russell; an all-around family man who comes out of the closet and into the prison cell due to credit card fraud. In prison, he meets Phillip Morris, and both fall madly in love with each other. The prison-cell courtship between Russell and Morris is not as erotic as Midnight Express, yet not as provocative as Brokeback Mountain. Mind you, there is a great tracking shot of Phillip chasing after Stephen as he gets on the bus that pays homage to Casablanca and Almost Famous. As soon as Steven gets out of jail, he reunites with Phillip and plans to have him live the high life through embezzlement, fraud, and lying his way out of everything.
At first, I was under the assumption that a big star like Carrey would degrade himself in the same style Adam Sandler did with I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry by playing a gay stereotype, but I was dead wrong after the first five minutes. Carrey is not just a comedic dynamo with his slapstick shtick that put him on the map back in the Nineties, he is a true actor by delving into such powerful roles like Truman Burbank and Andy Kaufman. His portrayal of Steven Russell is deeply funny and painful, as he redefines identity crisis with the great lengths he takes to escape the law, his loved ones, and himself. I put my hand to my heart by saying that this is Jim Carrey at his best.
Next to Carrey, Ewan McGregor gives a solid performance Phillip; the doe-eyed southern gentleman who becomes Steven's equal. McGregor doesn't come on strong with his American accent like in The Men Who Stare At Goats, nor does he subject himself to being a caricature versus character; its just right. Along with McGregor, Leslie Mann gives an adorable performance as Carrey's ex-wife, who stands by her man despite his conniving acts.
This crime/comedy/romance/drama/insert genre here film is a wild and hilarious ride mixed with the dark comedy of two people living through the AIDS epidemic of the Eighties and the narcissistic Nineties. Mixed with the satirical edge of Thank You For Smoking and con-artist fun of Catch Me If You Can, Phillip Morris may have be heavy-handed at times with a few cutaways, but it is the performance of Jim Carrey that makes this film hold up as one of the most surprising comedies since Superbad.
***1/2 out of 4 stars
