See It!

Rating: 8/10 (13 December 2005)

See It! I recommend you see Bruce Almighty because it is a very funny film and because it is detail oriented. In addition, the story contains many thought provoking scenes.
I watched Bruce Almighty at my house, and I knew that it was a romantic comedy. Also being aware that it starred Jim Carrey, I was a little prepared for the strange thematic tones of the film. It also stars Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Anniston who both add a refreshing realism to the film with their excellent acting.
I recommend you see Bruce Almighty because it is a very comical film. This is a fairly obvious assumption, noting the star. But the humor does play a huge role, taking into account some of the more serious issues that are brought up in this film. These issues are evident from the very start; one of the first lines is newscaster Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) blatantly asking while being filmed for the news, "God, why do you hate me?" A possibly controversial and definite strong statement for an opening line and without Carrey's candor and goofy smiles this line never would have worked. Another example of the role humor plays in this film is during a scene when Grace Connolly (Jennifer Anniston), Bruce's girlfriend, urges Bruce to donate blood during her workplace's blood drive. Grace gives blood but Bruce refuses, stating, "All that stuff just ends up in warehouse somewhere, anyway." Later on in the film when Bruce finds himself in a hospital and owing his life to the blood transfusion he has received, Grace walks in and says softly, "I hear all that stuff just ends up in a warehouse somewhere", with a camera shot highlighting the blood Bruce is receiving, "O negative", Grace's blood type. These examples show the necessity of having the right cast to match up with each character. Bruce Almighty encompasses many genres and also demonstrates the diversity one film can display, including being funny as well as portraying a serious message. Jim Carrey's humor, along with that of other actors, takes this film up a notch from films that strive for solely a message or comedy.
I also recommend you see this film because it displays an amazing attention to detail. There is a certain homeless man that silently narrates the story for the audience, and his image is slipped in before every main event in the plot. In the beginning of the story this man, with the sign, "R Ewe Blind?" is saved from a group of thugs by Bruce Nolan, pre-God powers. In a scene directly before we witness the destruction caused by Bruce's selfish use of power, the man holds a sign, "Thy Kingdumb come". This sign communicates the extent to which Bruce has abused his supremacy and allows the audience to realize the damage it has caused. The attention to detail and theme is also demonstrated by the closing shot, of the homeless man with sign "Armageddon Outta Here". An intriguing twist thoroughly in keeping with the theme of this movie ties up the homeless man subplot in this scene, and also explains the actions of key characters. These continuities and details are what takes the film to a higher level and make it very much worth seeing.
In addition, the story line is thought provoking. While it is in no ways subtle, the plot still manages to engage the audience intellectually. What is really going on here? What are all of these scenes supposed to communicate to me? These were a couple of the questions I continually asked myself while viewing, and throughout the film I came up with answers. A film that engages the audience in this way is the kind of film that I enjoy, and I believe many others enjoy films that have this connection of certain actions to precise meanings with an overall theme as the result, as well.
With a decisive message communicated through a series of singularly insignificant events and humorous scenes, Bruce Almighty is a film worth seeing and analyzing.