Intelligence! AT LAST!

Rating: Null/10 (26 November 1998)

Everything in this movie was remarkably well done. Peter Weir's direction and feel for the movie made it absolutely awesome. He took what could have been a strange, goofy movie, and turned it into an almost religious experience. He also chose to not tell us what happens after Truman leaves the studio. A wise decision, as some would be tempted to show what happens next. But an intelligent artist knows you should always leave the auidence wanting more. And that is what he has done, yet it is still satisfying. Jim Carrey's performance is excellent. He's funny, but he plays Truman as a tortured soul, and because of the depth of his performance, you can't help but feel tremendous pity for Truman. You almost feel proud when he reaches the edge of his world. Philip Glass and Burkhard Dallwitx both worked on the score, and both composers worked perfectly. Instead of using one composer for the film, using one theme, Weir "stole" certain bits because they fit his movie so perfectly. When Truman falls in love with a beautiful woman, and tries to talk to her, a piece by Chopin palys. A composer hired to write music for the movie wouldn't have been as good for that specific scene. Dallwitz's score was almost sparse, but it perfectly fit the mood of the story. It was manipulative. This whole movie is. You'll wonder if THEY want you to like the movie. There wasn't a single element that didn't work perfectly. this movie lacked violence, sex, foul language, and all the other filth that movies have today. That's what sets it apart from others, to me. Pleasantville is often compared to the Truman Show, but only because they both deal with TV as subject matter. In fact, these movies are radically different. The Truman Show is an innocent movie with a darker, more ominous undertone to it, that has a message to it. It's funny, touching, and thought provoking. Pleasantville is about teenagers who fornicate. It's full of smut, and at its core, there's nothing but filth and a shallow story that seriously strains credibility. If you enjoy intelligent movies, and hate it when people walk out of movies like Armageddon, saying "that was AWESOME", then PLEASE see the Truman Show.