Carrey, Darby and Deschanel make 'Yes Man' a winner!

Rating: 8/10 (8 April 2012)

It's fair to say Jim Carrey's star has waned over the past few years, hitting a low point with 'Mr. Popper's Penguin's'.
While 'Yes Man' may look like a quasi-sequel to his big hit 'Liar Liar' (in LL, Carrey can only tell the truth, in YM, he can only say yes), its one of his best films in a while and we see glimpses of the classic rubber-faced Carrey. He is supported by an eclectic cast, including the stunning Zooey Deschanel, the delightful Kiwi stand-up Rhys Darby, Bradley Cooper, Danny Masterson (Hyde from 'That 70s Show') and Terence Stamp.
The concept of 'Yes Man' is simple: Carrey plays Carl, a man rooted in a vicious cycle of negativity. Trapped in the same dead-end job, with only his enthusiastic co-worker Norm (Darby) for company, he says no to everything, even his best friends (Cooper and Masterson), instead choosing to stay home and watch DVDs while pining over his ex-wife Stephanie (Molly Sims). A chance encounter encourages Carl to attend a 'Yes' conference (with Stamp as the instructor), where he has to say "yes" to everything. While reluctant at first, this extreme mantra sets off a positive chain of events, including meeting the beautiful free spirit musician/photographer Allison (Deschanel), getting a promotion at work, reuniting with his friends and bonding with Norm. Probably the best part is how all of Carl's seemingly inconsequential positive moves come back at the end of the movie, which helps tie everything together.
While this is a vehicle for Carrey, with all his rubber-faced mugging on display, the brilliant Darby almost steals the show. Anyone who's seen 'Flight of the Concords' will know how fantastic Darby was as the band manager Murray, and he carries that form over into 'Yes Man' with the same routine of well-meaning and enthusiastic awkwardness. The other star is Deschanel, who continues to light up the screen as the "manic pixie girl" love interest. As the popularity of 'New Girl' has proved, its impossible not to immediately fall in love with Deschanel when she appears on screen.
While 'Yes Man' may not have the long-lasting appeal of 'Liar Liar' (when Carrey was at his peak), it's still a funny and enjoyable comedy, with glimpses of Carrey at his best, and well worth a look.