Shock horror- Carrey in dramatic acting scandal!!

Rating: 8/10 (7 May 2000)

I never really saw Taxi when i was a kid. Never knew of Kaufman's cutting edge exploits ('happenings') aimed at the American public. Also, i've never been much of a Jim Carrey fan, finding what i perceived as quasi-Jerry Lewis posturings just a little bit irritating. However, after viewing a couple of films i decided that was a little harsh. After seeing Man on the Moon, i realize he is an awfully gifted artist. Playing someone in a biopic isn't that difficult in itself. All it requires is an adequate enough amount of mimicry- an impersonation almost. For example, Val Kilmer's Jim Morrison comes to mind as a good charcterization, but with no actual life to the character. Carrey, however, one sensed there was a person underneath all those masks of Kaufman. He had splendid support from some actual members of the Taxi cast playing themselves. Courtney Love, in this, her second film for the excellent Milos Forman, shines- herself somewhat of a dramatic surprise in The People vs Larry Flynt. I should like to see Carrey get awards galore for this film, though i somehow think it won't happen. It would be a shame to see his promise unfulfilled, tossed aside for the Ace Ventura kind of films. My one regret was that i was never more aware of the real Andy Kaufman when i was younger. I like to think i'd have laughed then aswell.