I Love You Phillip Morris

Plot synopsis:
The story begins with Stephen Russell (Jim Carrey), lying weak in a hospital bed, recalling the events of his life that led him there. He begins with his mundane life in Texas as a police officer with a pious wife (Leslie Mann) and a young daughter. Stephen spends his off hours searching for the biological mother who gave him up as a child. He had been hiding the fact that he is gay for his entire life.After finally finding his biological mother and being handily rejected (a flashback shows a young Stephen watching clouds with his friends, commenting that one cloud "looks like a wiener"), and later surviving a car crash, Stephen decides to live the rest of his life as his true self. He breaks the news to his wife, who is fairly accepting, and keeps in touch with her and his daughter while he pursues a new life as an openly gay man. He moves to Miami, finds a boyfriend (Rodrigo Santoro) and begins a happy new life. He realizes quickly though, that "being gay is really expensive", leading him to become a con man to support his lifestyle. But when his financial frauds finally catch up with him, Stephen is sent to prison where he meets a sweet and soft-spoken inmate, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). They instantly bond, but Phillip (who was arrested for keeping a rental car too long) is transferred to another prison location. determined to be with Phillip, Stephen pulls some strings and has himself transferred to the other location and shares a cell with Phillip. Their romance blossoms.Stephen is released from jail, and manages to get Phillip freed as well by posing as a lawyer. They happily begin a life together, and Stephen cons his way into a high-paying job as a financial manager. However, he slips even further back into his old ways, and is soon embezzling large amounts of money from the company. This begins to land him in hot water, and Phillip suspects there is something that Stephen is not telling him. He is soon caught and sent back to prison, with Phillip being arrested as an accomplice. A furious Phillip is incredibly hurt by Stephen's lies, and refuses to see him again.Soon afterward, Stephen shows signs of illness and is diagnosed with AIDS. He is sent to an outside hospital. Phillip is told the news by another inmate and is told that Stephen has very little time left. Phillip calls Stephen in the hospital, breaking down and telling him that, while he is still angry, he will be in love with Stephen always. Stephen is moved to tears.Later, Phillip receives the news that Stephen had died.Phillip is later called to a private meeting with his "lawyer," and finds Stephen waiting for him in perfect health. Phillip slaps him in the face, and Stephen explains how he had faked the entire illness (including altering medical forms) to get out of jail and see Phillip again. Stephen thought of his plan when sadly remembering his last boyfriend, Jimmy, who had succumbed to the disease. He swears to never lie again. He attempts one last con to break Phillip out, but is caught again after running into a co-worker from the company he had stolen from. Sent back to jail again, Stephen is put on 23-hour lockdown, with only one hour a day to exit his cell. Phillip was released in 2006.The last scene shows Stephen, who has never given up on his goal of being with Phillip, laughing joyfully while running across the prison yard pursued by guards.From there the story becomes a Don Quixote-esque story of a forlorn lover who cannot bear to be separated from his soul-mate. He will go to any lengths to be with Phillip, including but not limited to breaking out of jail on multiple occasions, impersonating Phillips lawyer and fraudulently becoming the CFO of a major corporation.

Tags: comedy, queer, entertaining, romantic, flashback

Review:
If so, you should definitely go.The movie tells the true story—and trust me, you'll have trouble believing it's true—of Steven Russell, a gay man who just can't stop conning his way through life.
Ewan McGregor is equally astonishing as Phillip Morris - you'd swear you were watching the kind of unique romantic chemistry between two actors that arrives very rarely in cinema, and virtually never between two A-listers playing gay lovers; but the love story is only a foundation for what emerges as a kinetic, superbly told comedy-drama about the real life exploits of con man and recidivist prison escapee Steven Jay Russell.Directors/writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa expertly handle the tensions of comic and dramatic performance and also prove to have a masterly touch with the frenzied action sequences.
It is a wonderful, but in the end heart-breaking love story.To conclude I want to point out the outstanding performance of the two main actors – Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey.
However, the love story, that between Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) and Philip Morris (Ewan McGregor), is touching, passionate and totally convincing.
The love that blooms in jail between Carrey's character and Phillip Morris - a sensational performance by Ewan MGregor - is so profoundly vivid that I was taken by their own strangely innocent affair and went with them all the way.
I love You Philip Morris is an exceptional film, not because of the script, acting, or filming all of which are above average but simply because it seriously tries to take a homosexual relationship and show it as a heterosexual one and does so without the squirm.Maybe the world still ain't ready (this is most under-reviewed of any Carey film on IMDb) but it is a good film.With strong elements of humor, con tricks, prison, and a heart that is genuine, it is a very entertaining film.Hopefully it is a ground-breaking film.
It's not the comedy itself that makes it memorable, it's the characters and the story that really makes this film a very enjoyable pleasure.Loved every minute of it, thoroughly entertaining, actually very funny, and very sincere at the same time.
Luckily for them, Jim Carrey drums up a terrific performance as Russell and provides relief from the amateurish script and direction.The role of Phillip Morris is tackled by Ewan McGregor in a manner we have not previously seen from him.
His character quickly evolves into one of the most offensive Hollywood portrayals of gay men I've ever seen: while the extravagant, shallow con-man lifestyle Russell aka Carrey pursues in the film may be accurate for the story, I could have done very well without cliché remarks such as 'I discovered that being gay is terribly expensive'.
Well, I read some other reviews, that maybe are OK about some critic point of view, analysing the characters, the screen play or the plot; but for me, a simple spectator, it was pretty boring, even though I enjoyed parts of the movie, the ones that involved some funny stuff with Jim Carrey and also because of the acting of the two main characters.
Jim Carrey might once have shown promise as a serious and versatile actor, but on the evidence of his performance in "I Love You Phillip Morris," it would seem that the time in which he might have put that promise to use has passed.Carrey can't play any character as a real person, instead falling back on his usual bag of grotesque, exaggerated schtick.
To be fair, the entire tone of "I Love You Phillip Morris" is about as glib as Carrey's performance, giving this supposedly true story about one con man's never-ending crusade to avoid the law and be with his one true love (played by Ewan McGregor) the quality of a tall tale pulling our leg.
Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor must have thought that it was a great joke to play two gooey-eyed men who fall in love, but they have demeaned themselves, and far from showing versatility, it displayed their lack of professional judgement and what asses they really are.
Once trapped (thanks to the first 15 minutes or so, you know, the part of the movie that's actually a comedy), "downhill" isn't quite enough to describe how far into Hell you'll be sent emotionally speaking.The title is not even a pun of any kind, by the way: one of the two main character's name just so happens to be Phillip Morris, and no one in the studio apparently picked up on the blatant fact that it was grossly misleading to leave it at that.
After a string of $100 million plus megahits, Jim Carrey has done just that with the low budget I Love You, Phillip Morris, and perhaps then it is no surprise this is one of the best movies (and performances) of his auspicious career.This is a movie unlike anything Carrey has done before and even with the seemingly overt gay themes aside, this is a demanding, darkly humoured and rather unglamorous role for the comedian.
Foul mouthed and incredibly twisted, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa's films are not for everyone, but if this is your style, you will be on the floor laughing more than once during the deadpan pleasures of "Phillip Morris."Aside from the mirthful comedy at its forefront, what makes this film more special yet is it exists as a superb con-man film, thanks in no small part to the real life Steven Russell (portrayed by Carrey in the film) whose unbelievable exploits gave inspiration for this adaptation.
His sweet innocence and naivety is continually taken advantage of by Russell, though whether it is intentional or not is one of the many interesting questions posed in this feature.I urge everyone to look past this film's "gay" subject matter, because that constitutes so little of the running time, and is ultimately linked to so few of this movie's true roots and intents, you will forget all about it by the end credits.
If you love either dark comedy, Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, con man films, prison escape films or any combination of the former, you will find a lot to love in "Phillip Morris"..
What happened next involves dozens of escape attempts, multiple impersonations and a love story that is funny, depressing and real.Jim Carrey has two film careers, the one where he makes his stupid faces and sings out of his butt and the other in which he goes the more dramatic route and gets recognized at the Golden Globes, but not the Oscars.
Ewan McGregor is Philip Morris, a shy, soft spoken blonde haired and blue eyed man who falls in love with Jim Carrey while in prison.
This is a romance film about love, not Jim Carrey having a funny good time..
You can tell that I had low expectations of I love you Phillip Morris, and this was mainly due to the fact that Jim Carrey's rubber face and daft noises have never been enough to get me excited about a film.
The relationship between Ewan Mcregor and Jim Carrey is completely convincing, despite the absurdities of the situation, which is actually based on a true story.It is hard to describe the film without drawing on comparisons to another well known film in which Leonardo Dicaprio runs from the law; this is essentially Catch me if you can with a gay man.
On the beginning of I Love You Phillip Morris, we are assured that it is based on true events.And it is true; a quick visit to Wikipedia revealed that even the most unlikely events really happened.That would have made a fascinating movie out of I Love You Phillip Morris, but it unfortunately was not like that, because co-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (who were also the co-screenwriters) did not find the appropriate tone to tell the story.The screenplay from I Love You Phillip Morris is well written, but the problem comes from the direction, because Ficarra and Requa do not know whether they want to make us laugh, cry or simply share our incredulity to the situations portrayed in here.While I was watching it, I was reminded of Catch Me If You Can, another film which was based on a con-man's impossible situations.But that film had a more simple and natural style which made the humor to organically flow from the characters and the situations, at the difference of I Love You Phillip Morris, where we find a "funny" atmosphere which feels forced and difficult to classify.Maybe, Ficarra and Requa thought that the general spectators were not going to be ready to accept an homosexual thriller starred by two Hollywood stars, and they decided to protect themselves by adding a badly planned comedy varnish which ended up becoming into the movie's biggest fail.On the other side of the coin, we have the film's best attribute, which is the excellent performance from Jim Carrey, who instinctively adapts himself to the strange requirements from the movie in order to rescue his character's humanity, making us believe his sincere feelings and good intentions despite his unpredictable behaviour.Unfortunately, Ewan McGregor does not bring a very good performance as the other main character; I was left with the impression that this talented actor studied the body language and attitudes from some homosexual people, and the result is that his character feels like an imitation of a gay person instead of a real human being.In other words, as much as McGregor softens his look and voice, I never felt him credible on his role.In summary, I Love You Phillip Morris is a mediocre movie when it could have been brilliant.However, I cannot deny it kept me moderately entertained because of the adequate screenplay and Carrey's performance, so I think it deserves a slight recommendation despite its various fails..
Those filmmakers would be labeled as Nazis, extreme right supporters, bigots or even members of the Klu Klux Klan.If we can ignore the gay issues for a moment the movie is still bad: boring, unfunny, and we can sense an incompetent management of tone (was it a comedy or a drama?), not to mention bad taste (is there any fun in watching gay sex scenes performed by two very talented Brand A actors?, sorry but watching Tom Selleck kissing Kevin Kline on the lips was enough for me back in 1999 when I watched IN & OUT).Now if we talk about the actors involved, wow, all I can say is: what the hell were Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey thinking?
Had Harrison Ford picked a role as a gay man he would never have become the star he is today.I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS is a cry for help, a cautionary tale: a good sign that Hollywood is in trouble as evidenced by the fact that they are running out of ideas.Sorry but I really think that a gay movie like ILYPM will never achieve the greatness of a magnificent film like RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.
Jim Carrey is a talented actor who played funny characters with vigour as if he is jumping out of the screen such as "The Trueman Show (1998)", "The Cable Guy (1996)" and "Yes Man (2008)", while he also portrayed an ordinary guy who suffered the pain of love that everyone would experience one or more in their life, in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)".
Not knowing anything about this film before watching, I was absolutely shocked when I learnt the plot of the story, I was also shocked to see Jim Carrey playing this character, Steven, a gay man in hiding, until he has an epiphany and begins to live the life a 'gay'.
Risky territory, making movies about gay men at the best of times, so hats off to these two well established stars for placing their careers on the line to make it.I found it to be hilarious, sad, incredible, and was very impressed by the quality of acting of both Carrey and McGregor.If you are anti-gay, you may still enjoy seeing these men go to their doom, as usually happens to gay roles that Hollywood allows to be played.Having said that, I still think this movie is ground breaking, because it sets up the relationship as valid and meaningful from the get-go.This is I believe Carrey's greatest achievement to date, and McGregor was simply brilliant, totally convincing.
Lies to make people give me their money, lies to make people love me, and lies to keep them from leaving me, and in the process I lost track of who I was.¨ Jim Carrey plays the love interest of Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) in this romantic comedy/drama directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.
Carrey is a good actor, but I think who really steals this movie is Ewan McGregor who plays a very different kind of role than what we have seen from him in the past.
Their romance blossoms in the prison and when they are released as well, but Steven continues to live a life of lies and sooner or later it will catch up to him again.Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor are one of the reasons this movie stands out.
Peculiar adaptation of Steven McVicker's book--a dramatized true story penned by the film's two directors, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa--is well-acted by Carrey and Ewan McGregor, but is often agonizing to sit through (Russell's flamboyant but not-thought-through cons are mounted with the kind of precise awkwardness that makes one cringe).
And that is once again the case in being snubbed last year for his stellar cellar leading performance as real-life gay con man Steven Russell in "I Love You Phillip Morris".
Perhaps a time will come where R21 films need not go under the knife, and for a paying and discerning audience to know what they're in for basically, and that's to see two A-list Hollywood actors play gay characters convincingly in a refreshingly charming tale about the extent of the con one gets into for that elusive thing called love.Supposedly based on a true story, no matter how the dramatization of the film will eventually make it quite an incredible tall tale to tell, akin to a scene where a joke got spun and retold so many times that it becomes so ridiculous, Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) seems to be the modern equivalent of Frank Abignale Jr, the protagonist of Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can. Both are extremely convincing con men relying on their superb skills of social engineering, although Steven seemed to be one up in engineering most of his ruses from within a prison sale, posing as a lawyer, CFO, and even judge through his career in crime.
I'm not sure how gay folks will take to others laughing during such romantic scenes, because it's quite hard to keep a straight face watching both McGregor and Carrey romance each other in such convincing fashion, wondering for a moment how much work had gone into the crafting of their respective characters, especially for Jedi Master McGregor to go all effeminate in his demeanour that's not meant to belittle, nor deliberately going overboard with stereotypical actions, but adopting an approach that's somehow just right, and pat probably agreeable and acceptable as accurate from the intended community.Those who think this is a gay film exploring gay issues need their head seriously checked as well, because Steven McVicker's story (based on his book) and from the challenges faced by the couple isn't glamourizing gay love at all, but highlighting, as humans, the same issues and problems faced with any heterosexual couple in a relationship will face, boiling it all back down to solid fundamentals such as trust and faith, in sticking to and delivering on promises made.
I am highly impressed by every aspect of "I Love You Phillip Morris" with brilliant performances by Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.The Blu-Ray's extra features give an excellent overview of the production and of how the actors brought their characters to life - and they also verify that this is an incredible, all but impossible, yet true story of an unrelenting conman's unbounded commitment to love.Ewan describes it best as "funny, tender and sweet".
The storyline is interesting, the movie delivers and is creative, the acting is as you would expect from Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.I Love You Phillip Morris is the true story about love, lies, and the law.
I would think by now that who people love or what they get up to in bed with their adult consenting partner would be a non-issue.The film was entertaining with a good performance by Carrey and a truly endearing one from Ewan McGregor.
I love you Phillip Morris tells us the true story of Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), a supposedly happy married man with a good job that in reality is a gay con man.
The cast is very good, Jim Carrey is Steven Russell, his performance was excellent, maybe one of the finest of his career, Ewan McGregor as Phillip Morris isn't as good as I expected but it was convincing enough.
"I love you Philip Morris" of course has some funny Jim Carey flavor over it.The movie goes very fast and is filmed in a funny and smooth way, although the real story is actually quite dramatic in the end.
Sure, not many movies of this caliber are so carefree and open about homosexuality, but underneath, the fact that the main character Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) is gay has no bearing on the story John Requa and Glenn Ficarra are telling.
Jim Carrey, possibly one of the funniest actors to be in a film deliverer's in "I Love you Phillip Morris".
'I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five) Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor star in this slapstick gay prison love film based on true events that took place in the 80's and 90's.