The Majestic

The Majestic (2001)
Directed by: Frank Darabont
Starring: Jim Carrey, Laurie Holden, Martin Landau
The Majestic is known as the movie which tried to capture Jim Carrey, 
the actor unlike Jim Carrey, the king of histrionics. I had seen 
another movie which attempted a similar feat with remarkable degree 
of success, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But The Majestic 
amazed me with its brilliance. 
I would say that Frank Darabont, director of the much acclaimed The 
Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, has created his own 
school/genre over the years. I see his works as morally uplifting 
tales of human endeavor amidst all odds. Some other director would 
have made it look preachy/pedantic but his depictions are true to 
life, convincing to the hilt. You do not remain stranded/detached 
from his stories and one can almost imagine him/her self in the kind 
of situations the characters get in. 
The Majestic's Peter Appleton is an ambitious screen writers from 
Hollywood, who is finally trying to move in to the A league of films 
after battling senselessly with all kinds of films. And he believes 
that Ashes and Ashes would prove to be his redeemer. In midst of all 
this, he is charged for allegiance with Communists in a post-war 
America ripe with bureaucratic insecurity. Predictably, he laughs off 
the charges and finds it hard to fathom that he actually could be 
sentenced for disloyalty. He goes through a roller coaster ride of 
events that happen at the bat of an eyelid leaving him disoriented 
and confused, which finally land him in a relatively unknown small 
town called Lawson. It is here that the film really sets it apart 
from the predictable path it was on till now. There are lots of 
little moments set in emotional reality that make up a whole package 
that is full in content and rich with fine performances. However, the 
ones related to the entertainment industry or obsessed with cinema 
will have a special inclination for this film, just a IMHO thought.
The film handles diverse themes ranging from amnesia, the love for 
ones country, the difference between past and the present of a 
nation, the world after war, struggle of a common man against the 
system to the magic of cinema, with a firm grip. You might be put off 
by the oft-repeated sweet tone/flavor of the film but except for 
that, you will be entertained.
IMDB Link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0268995/
Review by Tushar k Shukla (29 March 2006)