OMG, Ewan McGregor is SO gay in real life.

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.

A movie about a concert, without the concert.

It's good to know that Ang Lee is one director who isn't afraid of fresh challenges. Lest we forget, he followed the abysmal 'Hulk' with the brilliant 'Brokeback Mountain' and ended up winning his first Oscar. A director's first post-Oscar film is always going to be met with great expectation, and rightly so. 'Brokeback Mountain' was near perfect film-making, so you'd expect Lee to play to his strengths with the follow-up. 'Taking Woodstock' does just that, however the new territory that Lee explores (comedy) is a touch hit and miss.

Whether 'Taking Woodstock' is a comedy or a period piece is to be debated. Established comedy writer/actor Demitri Martin plays Elliot Tiber, the central character who wrote the book in 2007 on which the film is based, but the core of the film lies with the brilliant supporting cast which includes Imelda Staunton, Liev Schreiber and Emile Hirsch (not to mention Eugene 'American Pie' Levy). While all of their characters provide sporadic laughs throughout, the film resonates as a story of motivation and self-discovery rather than a hippie-comedy as implied by the trailers. That it is based on a book which is based on one man's account of a true story provides comic limitations from the get go, and in places the comedy really does feel like an afterthought.

What I appreciated about 'Woodstock' was the wonderful use of an ensemble cast, and the intertwining relationships within. There are definite shades of 'Brokeback' in that respect. Martin is impressive in his first lead role, and it is Elliot's selfless effort to help out his debt-stricken parents coupled with his own coming-of-age that makes this film memorable. What it isn't, however, is truly memorable. Even with a cross-dressing Liev Shreiber, a stoney, 'Nam-scarred Emile Hirsch and a wonderfully Jewish Imelda Staunton, 'Taking Woodstock' still lacks something that I can't quite put my finger on. My gut tells me that it's the total absence of live music. Yeah, I know it's not a concert film, but seeing as Lee only takes Elliot as far as the top of the hill, you can't help but feel slightly underwhelmed. Wouldn't you have loved to have been able to bump into Hendrix, Joplin, maybe Joe Cocker? Even if Lee thought the inclusion of musical icons would have been parodical, surely he could have thrown Joe Cocker into the mix!

Maybe I'm being over critical. The collective performances were enough to carry the film, even if the script was somewhat weak. Ironically, Ang Lee's choice of writer (James Schamus) is tragically that of 'Hulk' (as well as most other Lee films apart from 'Brokeback'), his last film in English. Why Lee persists with Schamus is beyond me. He is a talented film-maker no doubt, but screenwriting doesn't seem to be his strong point. Although Schamus is Oscar nominated (for shared writing duties), Lee only tends to get nominated for things when Schamus is not the lead screenwriter. Call it loyalty I guess.

One person who does make Schamus' average script seem better than it is is Imelda Staunton. The Oscar-nominated, British veteran owns every scene she's in, providing the biggest laughs as well as the most character depth. Her Eastern-european/New York accent is flawless and she is almost physically unrecognisable as Elliot's stubborn mother, Sonia. In any other Oscar year, she would probably have achieved a Best Supporting Actress nod for her role, but will most likely recieve a snub with 'Up In The Air' and 'Precious' offering a possible total of four BSA nominations.

Speaking of awards, this film probably won't win any. 'Brokeback' and 'Crouching Tiger' this ain't. While being a quirky, well-acted and beautifully depicted tribute to the greatest concert of all time, it just doesn't offer enough in terms of individual caliber. The soundtrack could have been mindblowing, but it isn't. There could have been live music, but there wasn't. Ang Lee makes it easy to appreciate the effort that went into the organisation of the Woodstock festival, but the lack of actual festival scenery left me unable to feel like a part of it.