A true American classic?

Rating: 8/10 (5 December 2000)

This film is a satire in the highest degree. In no way is it an American classic - it tears the American Dream to pieces. Carey's perfect wife, perfect home, job and life all fall apart in minutes. This film stands next to Orwell's "Nineteen-Eighty Four" and Huxley's "Brave New World" in its world view. This film is sinister. It will leave you feeling monitored and paranoid, if you think about it properly. The premise that your world could be entirely manufactured and that your every move could be being watched intently by thousands upon thousands of people (Big Brother, anyone) genuinely scares me. The film also manages to strike at the concepts of advertising ( the scenes which involve this, with the two guys pinning Carey to a billboard, are hilarious) and product placement and places it more in line with the anti-capitalist, anti-consumer society message which flows from both American Beauty and Fight Club. All in all it is a great movie and is very moving, with an excellent performance from Carey.