Jim Carrey's best, and one of my favorites ever.

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2006)

An amazing premise that constantly kept me on the edge of my seat (not in a suspense/ thriller way) was perfect to make the first dramatic Jim Carrey movie I ever saw one of the best movies of all time, and proved more enjoyable than many (if not all) of his comedies. Have an open mind while watching this. While the film is easily a drama, it is actually quite funny. Watch it expecting a comedy, and you'll hate it. Watch it expecting a thought- provoking drama, and you'll find it to be just that, and you'll often laugh out loud.
Everyone is familiar with the story somehow. Truman (Jim Carrey) is an ordinary man, living in a town, Seahaven Island, that defines the term "too perfect to be true," and he has never left it. What he doesn't realize is that the town is actually built inside a giant TV studio, and over 5000 cameras are placed within the town, broadcasting Truman's entire life as an iconic, wildly popular TV show, that plays 24/7, and is controlled by a producer known as Christof (Ed Harris). Truman has never known that he is the most famous man alive, as every telltale sign that might reveal it is cleverly covered up by the controllers, and every one of Truman's friends and "family" are just actors who probably have no true compassion for Truman. The movie follows the show up until Truman's eventual discovery of his situation, and his attempts to escape.
One fun thing to do after you watch this film is to watch Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. This is a great way to see just how talented Jim Carrey is. He was robbed at the Oscars this year, as his performance was dead on. While he plays it straight, there is the occasional glimpse of his style of comedy, especially in a rather intense scene where he gives his "wife" several hints that he knows about his fake world. His behavior in that scene will provide some relief for people who were expecting a Jim Carrey laugh-fest. One thing that makes his performance in the movie better than the rest is that Jim Carrey is the only one playing a real person. Every line said by anyone else around him (besides the controllers) is staged. Everyone besides Jim are playing actors. That isn't saying that everyone else is bad. Everyone else is terrific. Truman's wife (Laura Linney) is the second best performance. She is a brilliant actress playing a suspiciously bad actress. You have to see it to believe it.
In spite of all the drama, the movie is actually (subtly) hilarious. Sight gags (all related to the plot) are frequently visible, as is the behavior of everyone around Truman when they get suspicious that he knows his world is fake. Truman's wife constantly describes household products to Truman as if she were a rejected audition for a badly written commercial. Truman doesn't seem to notice this (yet). Travel agencies are filled with posters warning people of the deadly hazards of flying on an airplane. The fact that these type of sight gags are rarely acknowledged is one source of humor. Also, the thought of what's going through the actor's heads as Truman approaches them with travel plans are rather funny. The best sequence of the movie is a talk show interview with Christof, which gives us a behind the scenes look at the show, and answers many of the biggest questions we may have about the technical details of Truman's life.
The combination of humor with the drama of the amazing story ultimately leaves the viewer with a lifted spirit, and looking at the world a whole new way. I recommend this thought- provoking, moving, entertaining, and arguably hilarious film to everybody and give it a 10/10.
It is rated PG for Thematic Elements and Mild Language. Sex: 1/10 Violence: 4/10 Swearing: 3/10 Drugs: 1/10