Clever, touching, and quite simply a brilliant piece of film-making

Rating: 8/10 (18 March 2014)

The Truman Show focuses on the life of Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) who is an ordinary guy working as a Loss Adjustor. However, he is unaware that his whole life has been turned into a TV show in which every move he makes and everything he says is being observed by millions of people around the world. Following a chance encounter, Truman begins to realise that everything isn't as it seems and that maybe his life isn't quite as ordinary as he first thought.
I'm a big fan of Jim Carrey, but for some reason this is one film that I've overlooked since its release in 1998. The concept of the film is interesting and I have a feeling that this film will age rather well. At the moment we are in the grip of several reality shows and the Truman Show, in parts, clearly satirises the reality show genres. The camera cuts from time to time to show various groups of people utterly engrossed in what they are watching - this element is believable as I honestly do believe that there are people who can't do without their fix of Made In Chelsea or The Only Way is Essex (UK reality shows)or Keeping Up With the Kardashians as an American equivalent. The Truman Show demonstrates this in a humorous, but subtle manner.
The Truman Show for me just seemed to get everything right; the script was intelligent, but it was also cohesive. The plot was straight forward, but it also managed to be touching and moving. Truman Burbank was such a likable person that it's impossible not to care for his character. About halfway through the film there is a 5 minute segment which explains how the Truman Show came about and once you know the 'truth' about Truman you'll care for both him and his cause all the more.
Jim Carrey proves here that he is a much more talented actor than some give him credit for. His zany OTT comedic acting style that we've seen in films such as 'The Mask', 'Liar Liar' and the Ace Ventura films are certainly not to everyone's taste, but I happen to like this style of acting and think he's a very funny man. Carrey gives a much more restrained performance here and his performance perfectly suits the tone of this film. Carrey's strong performance and tight script combine together to make this a pretty much flawless film. The cinematography and directing were also top notch. Ed Harris was also superb as the Creator/Director, but he's only given limited screen time.
The ending of the film was suitably uplifting and I can honestly say that this is one of the few films I've seen where I didn't want it to end. The Truman Show is a wonderful film which combines humour, satire, intelligence, a good script, and also manages to be touching and uplifting. It's a rare example of a film which not only felt too short, but also left me with a big smile on my face. The Truman Show is a film that simply has to be seen.