A brilliant, wild ride

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2005)

This is one of the most exuberant, wild comedies ever, with Jim Carrey turning in one of the most absolute comic performances ever seen on screen. Sure, there's the make-up to help him along, but it's all nothing without his incredible body language (yeah, I know he doesn't really hop around like that) and his Carrey-esquire ability to push each gesture to the limit without violating the viewer's confidence in Carrey's underlying intelligence. Cameron Diaz's entrance must be one of the most amazing film debuts in history and, being a terrific actress anyway, she sustains the impact throughout. The supporting cast is great,especially Peter Greene in the critical role of Dorian, Nancy Fish as Carrey's landlady, and Richard Jeni as Stanley's buddy. What really elevates this film beyond simply being a great star-vehicle is - well, actually, a few things. The sets are suggestive of "Edge City" - the name of the city in the movie - but nothing like the wasteland of Robocop or the Gothic urban-scapes of Batman. Sometimes, understatement works better - the movie has a comic book element to it, of course, but the sets themselves, while hinting at a sinister zeitgeist, don't fall into comic book sensibility. But the element that raises this to a 10, for me, is that it's simply a very well-told story with a great script. It's filmed tight, things make sense emotionally, the pacing is varied and compelling, and one cares about Stanley (Carrey) and Tina (Diaz) from the beginning of the movie. I am surprised at the rating this film receives from IMDb'ers - I would have thought it'd be higher. But maybe it's because recent first-time viewers are used to Carrey and Cameron, and even the tone of the movie itself. I saw it when it came out with one of my kids, and have watched it numerous times thereafter with them - and by myself as well. Catching 10 minutes of it on TV is still a treat some nights. It hit me like a thunderbolt when I first saw it and I still love it. If there's anyone out there who hasn't seen it, what are you waiting for?