Jim Carrey is so versatile it's unreal. Although hugely successful, he's always been a bit under appreciated when it comes to his talent. Of course by under appreciated, I mean he's never been nominated for a 'big one'. After two Golden Globes ('Man on the Moon' and 'The Truman Show'), Carrey started to undertake challenging roles on a more regular basis. His performance in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' was a wonderful shock to the system for every Carrey fan, but alas there was still no Oscar nomination. In fact, I'd be interested to know if any actor has been nominated for more Globes without receiving an Academy Award nomination. Astonishing for a performer of his caliber. History aside, if they snub him this year after allowing Sandra Bullock to beat Meryl Streep then my faith in that particular voting body will be well and truly shaken.
'I Love You, Phillip Morris' is apparently a true story. If that is so, then middle-America is even more Bush-ed than I thought. I actually lost count of the amount of times that Carrey's Steven Russell managed to con the legal system into letting him walk out the front door of a penitentiary. Politics or no though, 'Phillip Morris' is a wonderfully original (really) gay comedy about the pursuit of true love and the verging-on-unbelievable lengths a person will go to for their soul mate. The only difference with this story though, is that our smitten lead has a complete disregard for the law.
From credit card fraud to identity theft to embezzlement to forgery, Steven Russell does it all. He experiences the luxurious highs of being a successful conman and the existential lows of life in prison, all while falling further and further in love with the far more openly gay Philip Morris played the incredible Ewan McGregor. As his besottedness grows, so does his superfluousness and before you know it, Governor Dubya has sentenced him to life. The first thing most prison escapees would do upon reaching freedom is head straight for the border with the intention of getting as far away from incarceration as possible. Not Steven Russell. The first thing he does (on more than one occasion) is put on a nice suit and march straight back to that there prison to fetch Philip, the love of his life. In a weird, confusing and super gay way, this is intensely touching to watch thanks in part to the spectacular performances from both Carrey and (especially) McGregor, who is sure to secure a supporting actor nomination, but also to the strength and originality of the story which is both insanely comedic and beautifully dramatic.
The journey from scene setting to climax is nothing short of downright ridiculous. Believe it or not, the movie begins in Georgia where Steven is a policeman married to a woman. I know, right? It's not long though before he is pounding away at a random partner before moving to Miami and buying over-sized sunglasses and under-sized dogs. His life of crime begins there and continues to escalate, escalate and escalate some more all in an effort to satisfy the ones he loves. The difference with Philip is that he is Steven's true love, and never asked for all the wealths Steven constantly goes out of his way to provide. Wanted or not, Steven loves Philip so much that he never wants him to have to work another day in his life even if it means risking life in prison, which to be fair is kind of sweet.
This movie can be graphic, it can be light on it's feet, and it can be heart wrenchingly deep. Not many films can be a lot of things at the same time, but 'Philip Morris' really pulls it off (literally, in some scenes) admirably. Carrey's trademark physical comedy is evident, but not overpowering. It leaves enough space for a memorable dramatic performance from himself, and a potentially statue-winning performance from McGregor. It leaves enough space for a plot buried in emotion and originality, enough space for the best gay comedy since 'The Birdcage' (unless you count 'Brokeback Mountain'. Oh, how I laughed when Heath spit in his hand).
For more views on 'I Love You, Philip Morris', check out Thisfilmison from NME film critic Owen Nicholls.
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