A beautiful cinematic valentine

Rating: 10/10 (29 January 2000)

It's a shame that more people haven't seen this film, but then again many of them wouldn't be satisfied by it.
For me, it's nothing so much as a celebratory valentine to a man no longer with us. Yes, the reviewers are right on many accounts: it's not an idealized portrait, it does have to make changes for dramatic purposes, and it can't cover everything in his life. But...
It's a film that demands a viewer to be patient, to be willing to accept that it won't have all the answers, and perhaps most importantly to have an open mind and heart...to at least *try* to understand him, to see why he was/is important, unique, and beautiful. A viewer with those attributes will have a huge head start on enjoying this film.
This description does make the movie sound cold but it is really very funny and touching. The script and direction evoke feelings skillfully yet without callous manipulation.
And then there is Jim Carrey...if ever a movie depended so much on a lead actor's performance, it is this one, and he rises to the incredible task set before him (as Peter Travers pointed out in "Rolling Stone") to deny his own personality so Andy's can shine through. It is not a "mere impersonation", despite what you may have heard. No "mere impersonation" can make a person weep. There is something greater at work here.
Perhaps you won't feel the same way - I understand that. You're not me. But please give "Man on the Moon" a chance. Please open your mind and your heart to it. Let it work its spell.