Better than I thought it would be

Rating: 7/10 (15 March 2010)

When I first saw that my two sisters wanted to see this film, I was not that motivated initially, thinking it would be a substandard and predictable comedy with contrived romance. I don't know why I thought that, despite starring Jim Carrey who is quite likable anyway and an intriguing concept, part of my brain was telling me it wasn't going to be good. But I watched it anyway, as I always give films a chance even if the film turns out utter rubbish. After watching, I was pleasantly surprised; it has its flaws but it was an above average film. The romance isn't as good as Carrey's enjoyably wacky antics though, the pacing is sometimes uneven and there was one scene when Carl's neighbour makes sexual advances towards him that I felt wasn't needed. That said though, the concept about what would happen if you answered every question with the answer yes is very intriguing, and the script is good. Also well done is the pleasant cinematography and very good performances from Carrey and the beautiful Zooey Deschanel, who gives her Allison free spirit and charm. Howver it is Rhys Darby as the geeky, Harry Potter-obsessed bank manager who comes very close to stealing the film. Not to mention Terrence Stamp as Terrence, the quasi-religious seminar leader. Overall, flawed, but intriguing and surprisingly likable. 7/10 Bethany Cox