The movie I've waited for for years.

Rating: 9/10 (10 March 2000)

Before the making of the film was even conceived, I was remarkably impressed by the impact Andy Kaufman had made in his few short years (the NBC special had reinforced that), and I knew full well that someone was going to make a movie about that man, sooner or later.
To my delight, I heard that it was going to be a definite, and, of all people, Milos Forman was going to direct (a pleasant surprise, on my part). I had a good idea who would try out for the part even before the project had initially materialized, but I never would have guessed that it would've been Jim Carrey.
To me, Nicolas Cage would've been the ideal Kaufman. For one thing, Cage looks and sounds like Kaufman, and at minimal effort, no less. Though Cage often comes off as dry, at least on screen, he has the capacity to be dynamic (e.g. Vampire's Kiss), and if anyone has the reputation for throwing himself into a part, it's him.
I was pleased that he had at least tried out for the part, as had Kevin Spacey (a genuine master of mimicry), John Cusack (a remarkably underestimated actor), and Gary Oldman (one of the most typecast men in the business), and was disappointed that none of these men landed the role. Then I learned who had.
I am not downplaying Carrey's abilities; I believe that every comedic performer needs to diversify, that is, to try out at least one non-dramatic role. Steve Martin did ('The Spanish Prisoner', among others), as did Mike Myers (with '54', establishing himself as this generation's Peter Sellers), and Robin Williams (though, in his case, is often not completely, but that is a separate discussion), all with stunning success. Carrey had amazed me with 'The Truman Show' (though his trademark dynamics had, at times, popped out), as with 'Simon Birch' (although we only received an inkling of it, there). Granted, Kaufman's film is, at the root of things, comedic, so superficially, it may not seem as much of stretch.
Then, after the long wait (and countless shifts of the release date), it came to theatres. Not since Rain Man or Awakenings have I seen more fine a technical performance. The fact that Carrey was resurrecting a person who actually lived and breathed, that was even more impressive. The only harm to the film was that the material had a slight air of deification (e.g. the first dinner with future agent George Shapiro), but despite that, it is a showcase of genuine talent.
It was somewhat startling that Carrey was not included among the five men chosen to be Best Actor nominees by the Academy for 1999, though one must remember that there are so many spaces to fill (and that the five performances that were chosen were not unsatisfactory, themselves; we must also remember that there were several other magnificent performances over the course of the year that were overlooked for that category, including those of Bob Hoskins, Matt Damon, and my personal dark-horse pick, Val Kilmer). Carrey, to his credit, did put more effort than most, and should've at least seen the fruits of his labour. Hopefully, Carrey will not become dis-heartened by the whole thing, and will continue to venture into the dramatic (there is no doubt in my mind that he has the capacity to play a completely serious lead; if 'Man on the Moon' has proven anything, it has proven that there is very little Carrey can't do).
Enough about that, though; back to my review of the film. Overall, it is a well-presented and well-organized (though a few of the details are modified out of convenience for the sake of plot and casting), and the fact that it was the first of its kind, and that it was actually pulled off, that was a feat, in itself, so kudos to the team, that for two hours and ten minutes, made Kaufman live, again.