Meaningful

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2008)

It's been about a decade since this film came out, and the sad truth is, the majority of people haven't learned. Reality TV is not dead, but has rather flourished, and is gradually becoming more and more perverse(indeed making the idea presented here seem almost tame by comparison, which is a very unpleasant notion to consider), digging deeper into the lowest common denominator to grab attention(worse still, it's working), and they are at least as shallow as they've always been, quite possibly worse(I won't claim that I watch them), and costing depth in real people, by abandoning it in favor of more ratings-grabbing "entertainment". Niccol is not a man who favors superficiality, or that which seems, at first glance, to be perfect, beautiful, or even right... nor is he one who keeps quiet about his view on said subject. One needs to look no further than two other movies he wrote, Gattaca and S1m0ne, both of which he also directed(he is perhaps less shrill in his protesting in the former and this, compared to S1m0ne). I've not watched much of Weir's work... to this day, only this and Dead Poets Society, which my review will immediately reveal, I did not find to be anything special. Therefore, I don't know whose idea it actually was to let the imaginary hidden cameras be our eye into the world of Truman... whether Niccol had it in the script, or Weir thought it fitting... but I commend and respect whomever thought of it. The score and music are fitting. The acting is good, all-round... Carrey surprises. Harris is marvelous. Carrey may have some sillier moments in this, but it is a film separate from his comedy work. Those seeking his typical brand of humor(which it should be noted, I am somewhat fond of) won't find that satisfied herein. Exposition is delivered with fairly good subtlety. The writing in general is excellent... Niccol hits the mark entirely, and maintains a realistic tone, steering carefully clear of the pitfall of mockery to the point of the ludicrous, which he would later fall into with S1m0ne, and his continued exploration of reality is interesting. I personally make it a point to keep up with what the man is working on. The satire and cleverness found in his work deserves recognition. This, as The Cable Guy, has some social commentary on the viewers, but on the whole, this is by far the superior film(sorry, Ben). It is but saddening that it would seem that the film caused exactly what it may have been trying to prevent. I recommend this to fans of science fiction, Andrew Niccol and Jim Carrey as a dramatic actor. 8/10