A very satisfying movie.

Rating: 10/10 (25 December 1999)

"Man on the Moon" comes at the tail end of a year of great movies, including "American Beauty," "The Insider," "Fight Club," "The Sixth Sense," and "Summer of Sam." Although I was a bit frustrated with the lack of exploration into Kaufmann's childhood in beginning of the film, I soon realized that the film did not deeply explore certain aspects of his life because nobody (even those closest to him) did not know a whole lot about him. I then realized this movie was perfectly capturing this enigmatic character.
Jim Carrey's performance is absolutely phenomenal. He captures the essence of Kaufmann's insanity, while still allowing him to be human when they show Andy with his performance "hat" off. Being completely ripped last year by not receiving an Oscar nod for "The Truman Show," Carrey should gain his long-deserved respect from the Academy this year. If it does not happen again, it will be an absolute crime.
The movie as a whole is also tremendous, with Milos Forman doing a top-notch directing job with this bioptic. R.E.M. also provided great music for the film. There should be Oscar noms for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Original Score. I would even like to see a best supporting actor nod for Paul Giamatti, but that will be a long shot.
The best part of the entire film is the beginning, which would probably be how Kaufmann would have started the film himself. Absolutely perfect!