Above average feel good light entrainment build around a interesting idea

Rating: 6/10 (22 May 2009)

The yes man
Based on an autobiographical book written by Danny Wallace, a British author, producer, and journalist who spent a year answering "yes" to any given question or proposal and recording the results, The idea of this film is, at is hart, quite inspirational.
Meet Carl Allen (Jim Carry), a depressed loaner who for some time has shunned he's friends due to being emotional scared after becoming divorced from he's (it must be said rather hot) wife.
Carls life is a dull and loveless existence, he works as a loan officer, has been turned down for many opportunity's. In short this is a man who's life is ruled by the word no, saying no to he's friends, saying no to bank clients wanting a loan, and being said no to. Enter stage right Carls old buddy, Nick (John Michael Higgins) persuades him to attend a self empowerment seminar hosted by the large than life and seemingly mystical Terrance Bradley (Terrance stamp) where he is indoctrinated into the pseudo-cult like following. Terrance bradly makes a 'covenant' with carry whereby he must say yes to everythingEVERYTHING that comes he's way.
On leaving the seminar a homeless man asks him for a lift, Carry's friend answers for him (yes, obviously) and thus starts the snowball effect of the film. Carry plays he's part well and via a sires of events meets Allison (Zooeny Deschanel) who like him says yes to life. She plays in a niche rock band, leads a jogging photography group, and generally leads life to the full like a manic pixie girl. Her attitude Is " The world's a playground. You know that when you are a kid, but somewhere along the way everyone forgets it."
Things are going grate for Carl, and via a sires of random duce ex mechanica he finds himself quite popular (he gave a depressed Korean lady relationship advice and made her length in her own language due to saying yes to a length class, and talked a man of a ledge with a feel good scene involving a impromptu guitar solo, also due to spontainosly taking gitar classes) but then in the third act it all come crashing down. Due to a heavy handed misunderstanding he's waylaid by the FBI while trying to get a plane to the first random destination available, when its explained that he HAS to say yes to everything Allison takes umbrage at this and flounces of like a schoolgirl,sorry i mean, leaves him.
The rest of the movie is him coming to terms with the truth behind saying yes to everything and learning the lesion that its not always saying yes to everything, but WANTING to that makes a true change in he's life. Having reached this epiphany he finds general zod, sorry Terrance bundley, causes a car crash, asks him to be realised from 'the covenant' as every time he says no to something bad things follow. Terrance assures him that there was no covenant in the first place and that the point was to open him up to the idea and he should say yes because you have to believe that it's what you really want". With this fresh in he's mind he rides up like a bat out of hell to find Allison and cue the happy ending as they work out there relationship issues in record time.
Its not a bad film, not by any means. In fact its quote enjoyable. There's some plot hole and things that might bug more picky (or depending depending on your point of view) viewers, but id say its worth a watch
The good: A funny film, a far few good scenes, mildly thought
provoking. The bad: Some fridge logic, a little muddled. The ugly: Tillys shelf scene dude, really no. The geeky: General Zod as a motivational speaker.
Best watched with: your partner, and maybe grown up kids.