Yeah, let's see what else is on...

Rating: 9/10 (6 August 2015)

One might wonder how you would view The Truman Show without the knowledge of the twist premise of Truman's life. It would be impossible to market, but it would be an interesting study in deconstructing all the oddities in Weir's direction and Biziou's cinematography. Their work in creating the world of Seahaven is done with excruciating care and detail much like the work of god-figure and showrunner Christof. Thousands of extras and covert cameras, a gigantic dome complete with artificial moon and sun, 400 life sized buildings, props and costumes of all kinds...But Biziou also injects a sense of hyper realism into the film. The use of high key lighting, the scenes slightly over-lit create a subtle and controlled sense of artificiality. It's combined with the voyeuristic photography; sneaky povs from behind car dashes and vending machines and cupboards, vignetted frames suggesting surveillance, the way the edits will bounce from normal compositions to handhelds from the likes of Meryl's necklace or the neighbour's trash-cam. The almost too pristine and perfect production design of Seahaven's architecture and sets provides a lived in and yet unnatural world that Truman resides in.
Laura Linney is the consummate professional, Hannah Gill, who in turn beats out 5 other actresses to land the star role of Meryl, Truman's college sweetheart and eventual wife. There's plenty of love and sincerity punctuated briefly by moments of consciousness and recognition. Linney portrays these moments with such genuineness. A nervous glance at the hidden camera at the back of the car as Truman goes for maniacal joyride, or the nuance of the startled expression and scoff that she quickly struggles to hide when Truman confronts her: "You can't stand me...That's not true!" But she quickly re- establishes the veneer and takes the opportunity to parade another product for the millions of viewers. On several occasions, her sweetness is turned up to 11 and the camera quickly and eagerly zooms her satisfaction (and a clear view of the product name).
Ed Harris' Christof doesn't seek to hide the nature of his feelings; the first extended sequence has him pulling all the strings from a sleek and moody studio in the sky, heavily contrasting the cheerful Seahaven. He expertly guides the broadcast for maximum emotional attachment, but is himself distant. In the final scenes, we are treated to an almost tearful monologue, a last plea from the father figure to his son, beckoning him to turn back into his loving arms. Harris plays this part out with such a tender sincerity that it's easy to forget his showrunner persona (the character of Marlon was once given cancer amidst contract disputes). In the bathroom or the shower there are no cameras, and the sex scenes are only hinted at, but ironically Christof has no real regard for his son's privacy. There's still complexity and depth; after several lighting strikes and a violent storm, Christof witnesses Truman's heroics ("There's our hero shot") and relents.
The Truman Show could be described as satirical, but also prophetic in a way. After all, the international hit Big Brother only debuted the following year, but even that never hit the heights of Truman's audience. It's clearly exaggerated in size and scope, but the real question is, by how much? Roger Ebert makes a telling point; even a decade ago you would not see the likes of celebrity culture focused so intensely on subjects like Snooki or Honey Boo Boo. These days we have that in materialistic excess, entranced by the manufactured stories and plots and the high turnover rate, obsessed by every detail of their lives. If 20 million can watch the Neighbours wedding episode and millions more watch the royal wedding of 2011, how many would tune in to a real life Truman special wedding episode, especially with someone as accomplished as Christof to elicit the maximum emotional connection?
I really like the role of Natascha McElhone as Sylvia, as a college extra who falls in love with Truman. It would have been easy to limit her character as just a unrequited love, but she eventually transforms into a protester of sorts, frequently calling in and pushing her agenda: Free Truman. It's such a pinpoint reflection of reality; it would be exactly the sort of protest group that would form if a Truman Show replica existed in our world, with the ever raging controversial debates on free will and the ethical and moral implications of such a show. The scary thing is that apart from Sylvia the world is sparse of this sort of concern; the parallel edits of the various fans of the show in different locations cheer and look on with hope and horror as Truman attempts his sea escape, and they burst into applause when he speaks his famous catchphrase and exits Seahaven...and then they switch channels and look for another source of entertainment. They are, like many reality show fans, hugely invested in Truman as a character, but oblivious to his nature as a real human being.
I wonder how the film would play out with a more serious actor; whether Weir would forgo some comedic elements and add more drama, but then you lose the charm and appeal of Carrey in scenes like the beach pizza shop and the mirror astronaut play-acting. But even then, it doesn't matter. The illusion is never shattered; the audience only care for the final catchphrase. Linney and the fake making-of documentary reveal a little insight on the character of Gill; as a child actress who finally hits stardom and is very concerned with the nature of her contract. She's managed to negotiate a sizeable payment every time Meryl and Truman have sex. It's very easy to focus on that rather than the heartbreaking revelation that Truman is faced with at the end of the film.