Details
Film Title: I Love You Philip Morris
Year: 2009
Directed by: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Stars: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Rodrigo Santoro, Antoni Corone, Leslie Mann
Running Time: 93 mins, 1 hr 33 mins
Language: English
Rough Plot Synopsis: Based on the real-life story of 1980's and 90s con artist, impostor and multiple prison escapee Steven Jay Russell, the film details how Russell meets and falls in love with fellow inmate Philip Morris. After Morris is released from prison, Russell comes up with all manner of schemes and tricks in order to be reunited with his true love.
Thoughts
I had heard about this film around the time of its release and was looking forward to catching it whenever it was to hit cinemas near me. However, due to the film's explicit gay sexual content, it enjoyed only a limited release and thus I never got to watch it. I never forgot about it though. Being a big fan of legendary comedian Jim Carrey, this film was always on my 'to-watch' list and only recently did I finally get to sit through it. And I liked it.
First off, the acting in this film was sensational, both on the part of Jim and Ewan. For two actors who are straight in real life, they really were able to connect on-screen convincingly, their moments of affection and passion seeming so earnest and honest that, even though most of the events are presented quite comically, the film as a whole does manage to feel sweet and romantic.
Jim has always been typed-cast to play outlandish comedic roles and has seldom been recognised for his capabilities in tackling more serious dramatic roles( The Truman Show(1998), The Majestic(2001) and Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind(2004) to name a few). However, I feel that he has the versatility and talent to shine in such roles as well and he definitely proves that in this film. While the film does have him pulling off some hilarious gimmicks, it manages to balance that comedy with some heart-felt and moving drama, successfully allowing Jim to showcase his acting range. I look forward to seeing Jim in more serious roles in the future for I think he can definitely pull them off as well as he can with comedic ones.
Ewan McGregor was also fantastic in his role opposite Jim. I have seen Ewan in other romance films like Moulin Rouge!(2001) and Big Fish(2003) prior to this film and I like the way he can bring a sort of sincere tenderness as well as a strong determination to a male character, both of which clearly shine through as well in his role as Philip Morris in this film. Without a doubt, one of the best(arguably the best) performances of his that I have ever seen so far.
Overall, I really liked this film, I think it had a great balance of comedy and romance, with a cool con-artist streak throughout. I would definitely recommend it to any Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor fans out there for this film showcases one of their best performances ever. The dialogue is also not too cheesy or cliche as you would expect of most rom-coms nowadays, which is definitely a huge plus for me. Very glad I caught it and you would be too if you did.
Film Title: I Love You Philip Morris
Year: 2009
Directed by: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Stars: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Rodrigo Santoro, Antoni Corone, Leslie Mann
Running Time: 93 mins, 1 hr 33 mins
Language: English
Rough Plot Synopsis: Based on the real-life story of 1980's and 90s con artist, impostor and multiple prison escapee Steven Jay Russell, the film details how Russell meets and falls in love with fellow inmate Philip Morris. After Morris is released from prison, Russell comes up with all manner of schemes and tricks in order to be reunited with his true love.
Thoughts
I had heard about this film around the time of its release and was looking forward to catching it whenever it was to hit cinemas near me. However, due to the film's explicit gay sexual content, it enjoyed only a limited release and thus I never got to watch it. I never forgot about it though. Being a big fan of legendary comedian Jim Carrey, this film was always on my 'to-watch' list and only recently did I finally get to sit through it. And I liked it.
First off, the acting in this film was sensational, both on the part of Jim and Ewan. For two actors who are straight in real life, they really were able to connect on-screen convincingly, their moments of affection and passion seeming so earnest and honest that, even though most of the events are presented quite comically, the film as a whole does manage to feel sweet and romantic.
Jim has always been typed-cast to play outlandish comedic roles and has seldom been recognised for his capabilities in tackling more serious dramatic roles( The Truman Show(1998), The Majestic(2001) and Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind(2004) to name a few). However, I feel that he has the versatility and talent to shine in such roles as well and he definitely proves that in this film. While the film does have him pulling off some hilarious gimmicks, it manages to balance that comedy with some heart-felt and moving drama, successfully allowing Jim to showcase his acting range. I look forward to seeing Jim in more serious roles in the future for I think he can definitely pull them off as well as he can with comedic ones.
Ewan McGregor was also fantastic in his role opposite Jim. I have seen Ewan in other romance films like Moulin Rouge!(2001) and Big Fish(2003) prior to this film and I like the way he can bring a sort of sincere tenderness as well as a strong determination to a male character, both of which clearly shine through as well in his role as Philip Morris in this film. Without a doubt, one of the best(arguably the best) performances of his that I have ever seen so far.
Overall, I really liked this film, I think it had a great balance of comedy and romance, with a cool con-artist streak throughout. I would definitely recommend it to any Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor fans out there for this film showcases one of their best performances ever. The dialogue is also not too cheesy or cliche as you would expect of most rom-coms nowadays, which is definitely a huge plus for me. Very glad I caught it and you would be too if you did.