Jim Carrey becomes God

Rating: 7/10 (4 June 2018)

Bruce Nolan is a news reporter working for a TV station in Buffalo, New York. He isn't satisfied with his life though; he is fed up of getting the more lightweight stories to report on while his rival Evan gets the more serious stories. When Bruce learns that Evan has been promoted to a job he wanted just before he presents a live report he finally snaps. This cost him his job and soon it seems as if everything is going wrong for him; the only thing good in his life is his girlfriend Grace although he somewhat takes her for granted. As more and more things go wrong he starts to blame God for all his woes... then one day he receives a strange message offering him a job. He goes to see what it is about and finds himself face to face with God! God proceeds to give Bruce his powers and tells him to do his job for a while. At first everything is great as he uses the powers to his own advantage but there are consequences; when he tries to help others by answering their prayers things get even worse... Bruce learns that being God isn't easy.
If you are a fan of Jim Carrey then I expect you'll enjoy this as he is on fine form as Bruce. His gurning style may be too much for some people but for the most part he is funny rather than annoying. The story is entertaining and despite the subject matter I don't think it will offend too many people... it is never stated that God is the god of any one faith and his depiction is respectful; the fact that he is played by an on form Morgan Freeman helps of course. There are plenty of very funny moments; the best being a slightly crude scene involving a gang member and a monkey. The supporting cast is solid; most notably Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell as girlfriend Grace and rival Evan. The film's conclusion is hardly surprising but that isn't a problem; we can enjoy the journey even though we know the destination. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody wanting a good laugh; especially if you are a fan of Jim Carrey.