Excellent performance by Jim, but why make this film?

Rating: Null/10 (15 December 1999)

As a British citizen who moved to Michigan in 1998, I have never seen Andy Kaufmann on TV. Indeed I had never heard of him before the release of this movie. But I responded to a free ticket offer and saw it for nothing at my local multiplex.
For the first half hour or more I was mighty glad I had paid nothing as Andy's act did not tickle my sense of humour in any way. In particular, Jim Carrey's introductory chatter and the running of the "end credits" at the beginning of the movie were merely tiresome and irritating. To judge from the laughter around me, I assumed that he must be a nostalgic cult figure and the audience were reliving their teenage memories of Andy's antics, much as Brits of my generation can quote Monty Python verbatim. After a while I found myself laughing despite the seeming dumbness of much of the material, especially where Jim skates on the very edge of bad taste and political incorrectness - and frequently falls over that edge.
I cannot judge how truthful an impersonation Jim delivers, but his typically dynamic performance seemed to be the product of really concentrated effort. The later sequences in particular, where Andy is diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer, becomes progressively sicker and tries all manner of alternative therapies, are unreservedly touching and a portrayal of quiet courage. It was particularly fascinating to be reminded of the bizarre Philippines hand-on surgery without anaesthetic which I saw in documentaries of the early 1980s.
As with all Milos Forman films, the craftsmanship is impeccable and the soundtrack highly enjoyable. At the end of it, I was still left wondering why Forman found Kaufmann so interesting that he was willing to invest the staggering effort which it takes to create any movie. As in the case of his last movie about Larry Flynt, though for rather different reasons , I could not see why he picked this guy out of the billions who have lived in this century to immortalise on film. Larry was just too loathsome and Andy was somehow not that distinctive. I will be surprised if the movie has much success in markets where people have no memories of seeing the original Andy first time round. I would give it 7 out of 10 for craftsmanship, acting and (against the odds) making me laugh.