Andy, We Hardly Knew Ye...

Rating: 8/10 (27 December 1999)

Andy Kaufman was an original, no doubt about it. His biting, often strange humor infuriated people to the point of hating him. Those who got the joke saw through it all and chuckled at how the butt of his antics (the audience) became annoyed and distraught . Ultimately and sadly, the joke was on Kaufman himself. MAN ON THE MOON arrives at this conclusion after a series of episodic Andy moments, most of which fans have seen over and over again throughout the years.
You sure wish you could get to know this flawed man and what made his outlandish mind work. As David Letterman once said, "sometimes, you look at Andy, and you are not sure who is behind the wheel." You never do get a real sense of who he was in Milos Forman's strong, but nearsighted film.
There are fabulous moments sprinkled throughout, however. The first 5 minutes of the picture may have some of those same Andy haters leaving the theater, a further testament to his misunderstood humor. Forman and his screenwriters have created a brilliant and ingenious method of beginning a Kaufman biopic. Jim Carrey plays the erratic comedian masterfully in what is by far his best performance to date. There are times when we see Carrey playing him as a goof off-stage, lying, demanding, and acting just flat out bizarre. I ask myself whether or not this is the real thing. Certainly, the many people involved in the production of the film (in particular Bob Zmuda and Danny DeVito) knew Kaufman well as a pro and a friend, but the joke may still be on us as far as finding out what he was really all about.
Forman's direction and the screenplay basically play off the hopes that most audiences will be unfamiliar with Kaufman's work. This is fine, however, there are times when a true fan can mimic what is happening on screen. MAN ON THE MOON is merely a succession of scenes showcasing his talent, or lack of, leading to a mildly emotional climax.
The question of whether or not Kaufman faked his own death is not really touched upon, but some subtle glimpses at film's end could keep you guessing. R.E.M.'s classic tune fittingly ends what turns out to be a loving tribute to the guy. Andy's antics did p*** a lot of people off. The film shows how he was able to create the illusion of what could be authentically unbelievable. Were the wrestling injuries real? Did Jerry Lawler really slap him on Letterman? This is mostly left to your imagination for some time, but it is amusing to see who was in on some of the madness with him.
The sickly humor of the piggish lounge singer "Tony Clifton" creates some huge laughs. Clifton was Zmuda and Kaufman's favorite creation. I think Forman and company with the help of Andy's pals use the Clifton character, who was the alter ego of Kaufman you could say, to show the tragedy of his comedy and his untimely death. Clifton was the ultimate Kaufman fake-out, but he was able to live on while Andy was only mortal.
What a curious man he was and who better than Carrey to play him (I mean really, WHO better). His performance is the glue that holds MAN ON THE MOON together, barely. I just wish I got to know Andy Kaufman much more over the course of the 2 hour film.
RATING: ***