Carrey soars, Madsen bores!

Rating: 7/10 (9 March 2007)

I was quite gripped by this film from the beginning, Carrey really pulls you into the films progressions with his voice-overs and "flashbacks" so to speak. By far his best performance since 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' Carrey proves that his acting range is a lot broader than you may think. Still however he has his occasional comedy moments (at the start) but as the intensity of the narrative increases, so does his acting. This seamless transformation makes his character seem as real as the person sitting next to you, as you really begin to relate to him sharing his feelings of fear, anxiety etc.
However if we were to call Carrey's performance black, Virginia Madsen's performance would be white. She is as dull as a grey wall and has the emotional range of a bin, quite possibly the flattest acting performance i have ever seen. She is to this film what Steven Seagal is to the world of film, annoying, out of place and really should rethink what she is doing. But this really is not too much to worry about, because like a drunken night she can easily be forgotten.
As for the film, the narrative is relatively easy to follow. It is well explained and never at one point was i unsure of what was going on. The use of clever camera shots, edits and voice-over allow you to predict what might happen but if you don't really know what to look for then you not worry as the films ending is unpredictable no matter how much you read into it, yet if you do figure it out i doubt you will be able to back it up with any hard evidence, has the surprise factor of the twist in 'The Shawshank Redemption' although not as memorable.
If you want to be disappointed then go and see Norbit, if you want to watch a film that will leave you feeling fulfilled and also quite curious about what you can turn into the number 23 on the way home, then see this film. Easily one of Carrey's best films and easily one of Madsens worst. Yet the latter doesn't ruin the film, it just merely makes you want to see more of Carrey. Truly memorable and a nice return for Carrey after a year of nothing. Kudos.