the truman show ( paramount pictures ) running time : 1 hour 42 minutes starring jim carrey and ed harris directed by peter weir after a long wait , jim carrey 's dramatic debut finally makes it to the big screen .
in case you 've been asleep for the last few months , the plot centres on truman burbank ( carrey ) who leads an seemingly idyllic life in the beautiful town of seahaven .
his life seems so perfect , however , because it 's controlled by christoff ( harris ) creator of the truman show , the program burbank is unwittingly the hero of .
that 's right
, burbank 's life is being broadcast live to the american public , and seahaven and all it 's inhabitants are inclosed in a massive sound stage .
the film takes the jerry springer format one step too far . . .
with an idea so different , it would be easy for the director and screenwriter to dumb it down and appeal to the lowest common denominator .
luckily , the film remains sensible enough to appeal to all ages , yet never seems to be a dumb carrey movie .
talking of carrey ,
he 's perfect in this movie , enjoying the best role in his career .
his character is a re - inforced stanley ipkiss from the mask ( 1994 ) and is completely suited to carrey 's persona .
he occasionally falls into ace ventura mode , shrieking and being silly , but generally the audience is watching subdued carrey .
he 's not completely dramatic like the film promises , however .
ed harris brings an extreme intensity to christoff , the megalomaniac creator of the show .
quiet and well spoken , he burns an image into the viewer .
unfortunately , he 's barely in the film , and for the first hour dosen't appear at all !
also disappointing is natascha mcelhone 's character sylvia .
she plays the role well , but her character is sadly underwritten and is pushed to the sidelines just when the audience is used to her .
the supporting cast is excellent , and the town of seahaven looks delightfully perfect , so perfect it 's creepy .
the philip glass soundtrack is also superb , and is used to great effect during the film .
peter weir keeps the film going , clearly having fun .
the film is far more upbeat
than his previous films dead poets society and green card .
although it is slightly slow to begin with , about half an hour into film the pace really picks up , and when christoff is introduced fully the film is on a roll .
sadly , though , the film is practically over when the film is in full steam .
also , concerning the ending , it is slightly too ambiguous , which was disappointing .
the screenwriter , andrew niccol , who bought us gattaca ( 1997 ) delivers an entertaining script , and manages to keep the plot in trim .
while christoff 's plans to keep truman in do get increasingly silly , they never go over the line , which would have been easy for niccol to do . also ,
there 's some funny gags involving product placement and the people who watch the show .
overall , the truman show is excellent entertainment .
certainly different from the usual crap hollywood produces , it should be viewed by everyone .
it offers something to every member of the audience , and you would almost certainly not come out disappointed
.
overall rating= review by david wilcock ?
1998
" you know , for kids " - norville barnes
Output: P