If you were to throw “Catch Me If You Can” and “Brokeback Mountain” in a blender, and add a hint of “Bonnie and Clyde,” the cinematic concoction would probably taste somewhat like the upcoming crime dramedy, “I Love You Phillip Morris.” But don’t expect to serve it in America anytime soon.
After struggling for over a year to get a U.S. distributor to touch this star-studded, but graphically homoerotic picture, directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa decided to re-edit the film, and finally found distribution with Consolidated Pictures Group (nope, I haven’t heard of them either.)
“I Love You Phillip Morris” tells the true story of con man Steven Jay Russell, who is portrayed by Jim Carrey in the film. Russell, once a police officer involved in a peachy suburban church-every-Sunday marriage with Debbie (Leslie Mann), has a stunning realization one day that he is gay, and ventures out into the world in his true, homosexual self. In order to finance this lifestyle, he pulls off a number of high profile cons, eventually landing himself in prison. This is where he meets Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), and I’ll let you guess what kind of relationship they have. Russell cons his way out of prison, taking Phillip with him. Managing a life together outside of prison, Russell hides his secret dealings from Phillip, who’s convinced that Russell is a lawyer, as Russell’s past crimes inevitably catch up with him.
The film premiered at Sundance last year, and was relatively well-received (of course, this was before the re-edit, so I’m not making any promises.) Many reviewers remarked on Carrey’s ability to deliver a character that you would like to have a beer with, but from whom there’s a certain critical distance. Although some have commented that the initial potential there was to be explored with this rich con-man story is left untapped in lieu of Hollywood pitfalls, the film has been said to be nonetheless audacious and uniquely engaging.
From what I’ve read, and from the clips that I’ve seen, Jim Carrey is able to show what he’s made of in this role. We all know that he’s a physical comedian, but it’s not overplayed in this picture. With the right amount of smiley-Georgia sleaze, Carrey just might pull off a performance which has different viewers laughing at different performance elements (depending on whether they are partial to character subtleties or slapstick antics.) This is what constitutes a well-done comedic act. And after his disappointing turns in “Yes Man” and “The Number 23,” Carrey should try to remind America of the funny man who has seemed to have disappeared in recent years.
McGregor’s portrayal of the gentle and effeminate Phillip Morris hasn't been met with such praises. As Empire Movie Guide noted, “The movie’s title refers to Phillip Morris, and while McGregor is fine in the role as a sweet, almost unrealistically innocent naif, it’s Carrey we follow throughout, with the comedian enjoying a dream role that allows him to combine his old-school comedic box of tricks — the pratfalls, the sweaty, manic intensity and even the odd rubber-faced gurn — with an emotional honesty that feels earned and genuine.”
This is certainly something you don’t want to miss, especially if you’re like me and indulge in movies which not only spotlight oddballs, but are oddballs themselves. Be sure to check out the Reel Deal next week for more movie info. Until then, here’s a trailer for “I Love You Phillip Morris,” which is set to release on April 30, 2010.
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