Tour de force performance by Jim Carrey

Rating: 8/10 (2 June 2000)

This realistic biographical treatment of the life of Andy Kaufman is a tour de force triumph for Jim Carrey in the starring role. Carrey portrays Kaufman with such spooky accuracy that one has to wonder whether this was an impersonation or a possession. Kaufman could not have played Kaufman any better.
Andy Kaufman was an audacious pioneer in the world of shock comedy. His most popular work in Taxi' was not his most important and was the work he liked the least. Kaufman was a ruthless manipulator of human emotion. He didn't care whether people loved him or hated him, laughed or cursed him as long as they were reacting. He would go to any lengths, no matter how ridiculous or distasteful to shock his audience and put one over on them. Though not the first in this regard (Don Rickles and Don Imus were offending people's sensibilities long before Kaufman emerged) his antics raised the bar for shock comedy, aiding people like of Howard Stern, Sam Kinison and Andrew Dice Clay. Though I don't personally believe this is a particularly constructive direction, I must concede that Kaufman broke through some major barriers.
The film's biggest shortcoming is its neglect of the inner Kaufman. Some of the best scenes explaining Kaufman's motivations and reactions to his own behavior ended up in the deleted scenes bonus feature on the DVD. This relegated the film to becoming an Andy Kaufman greatest hits film without Andy. While it was entertaining as such, the burning question remains unanswered, namely, `What is this guy thinking as he behaves this way?'
I can't say enough about Jim Carrey's performance. He totally immersed himself in the character down to the most meticulous detail. As he explained in the featurette, he didn't just try to impersonate Kaufman, he was intent on becoming him 24 hours a day. People who knew Kaufman well like Danny DeVito and Kaufman's girlfriend Lynne Margulies said that it was like Andy had taken over Carrey's body. With each film he makes I gain a new appreciation for Carrey's skills as a comedian and actor. Though much of his early work was tripe, his range of abilities continues to expand with each new role. In many ways he reminds me of Jerry Lewis, a brilliant mind behind the face of the village idiot.
I rated this film an 8/10. It is a must see for Andy Kaufman fans and will still be entertaining for those who missed Kaufman's work. Unfortunately, it lacked insight and that made it incomplete.