MAN ON THE MOON
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
Where does obnoxiousness end and comedic talent begin?
Andy Kaufman's performances constantly raised that question, and so does
Milos Forman's movie about Andy's life, MAN ON THE MOON. Starring Jim
Carrey as Kaufman as well as Andy's alter ego, Tony Clifton, the movie
tests the limits of the viewers' patience just as Andy did. The
frequently funny result is as much a curiosity piece as a traditional
motion picture. But one fact is undeniable, Carrey is terrific in the
role and might finally earn the Oscar nomination that he so richly
deserved, but didn't get, last year for THE TRUMAN SHOW. Then again,
Hollywood has never really warmed up to Carrey's acting talent, so don't
bet on any nominations.
The script by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski has the movie start
with the closing credits. Yes, you read that right, the closing, not
the opening credits. One problem with the script, however, is that this
turns out to be the highlight of the entire show. It never again
reaches this level of imagination and joy. Just as Andy generated a
mixture of reactions from his audience from grimaces to nervous
laughter, the movie produces those same reactions. Still, even at its
most unpleasant, the movie features Carrey's talent, which never ceases
to dazzle and amaze.
"I'm not a comic," Andy honestly tells his future agent George Shapiro
(Danny DeVito). "I don't even do jokes. I don't know what's funny."
He does know success. And to Andy, success consists of so riling up his
audience that half of them walk out in disgust. He'll do anything to
get under their skins -- reading "The Great Gatsby" aloud to college
audiences, insulting patrons at nightclubs by telling them how fat they
look and ridiculing females who he eggs on to wrestle him.
George thinks Andy may be his diamond in the rough. "You're insane, but
you might also be brilliant," he tells his new client, who proceeds to
give George the fake snot that he has had hanging out of his nose,
telling George to save it since it may one day be valuable.
Paul Giamatti plays Andy's writer and comedic partner, Bob Zmuda, and
Courtney Love plays Andy's girlfriend, Lynne Margulies. Lynne meets
Andy in a wrestling match on "The Merv Griffith Show." It's not often
that a romantic relationship starts with a fight.
Perhaps the most honest line is uttered by a television executive. When
shown the tape that Andy wants to be his big TV special, the executive
looks at it in total disbelief, saying the obvious, "This is not funny!"
"You're like some stupid kid who comes home and says, 'Look Dad, I got
an F'," George tells Andy, as Andy's career goes down the drain. Andy,
of course, has mixed reactions to his lack of popularity, which to him
may be some crazy measure of success. Enjoying a movie in which bad is
supposed to be good is at best problematic, but Carrey manages to make
it strangely compelling.
It's always hard to figure out whether someone will like a movie, but
the recommendation on this one is easy. If you've seen the trailers,
you've already seen the movie. The full-length version just fills in
some details. If you liked the trailers, you'll probably like the film.
And if you didn't think much of the trailers, well, save your money.
MAN ON THE MOON runs 1:50. It is rated R for language and would be fine
for teenagers.
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Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think: Man on the Moon is a great tribute to the late Andy Kaufman and Jim Carey portrays him eerily well. This film shows that Jim Carey definately can act and has a wide range of talent. He gives a tour de force performance and actually became Andy Kaufman during the filiming of the movie. There is a nice featurette on the DVD that shows this by the way. In this movie we learn all about Andy Kaufman and how complex he really was. Was he a loud mouth crazy lunatic or enjoyed ticking people off, or was he a comedy genius? Well form your own opinion, but he definately was a practical joker and nobody really knew the real Andy Kaufman, I dont even think he did. From the character of the foreign man which evolved into Latka, to the mighty mouse skit on SNL, to the women wrestling and his obnoxious alter ego, Las Vegas showman Tony Clifton, the film shows everything there was to Kaufman. he film has a great cast too. Danny Devito gives a great performance as Producer George Shapiro, However, because Devito plays him, he couldnt play Louie when they had the Taxi cast onscreen. The character of Louie was just ommited. In addition to the reunion of the Taxi cast, David Letterman and Paul Shaffer have a cameo. The problem is, the cast of Taxi and Letterman look the same as they do now, not like they did back in the early 80's when most of this film took place. It would have been nice to see more of the inner Andy Kaufman and see what makes him tick. If you don't know much about Andy Kaufman, this is the perfect film to learn about him and see a great performance by Jim Carey at the same time. The same goes for fans of Andy Kaufman, this is a great tribute to him. I think Jim Carey was snubbed by the Academy Awards for this, but because this film underachieved at the box office, it was looked over. Don't look this film over now, its definately worth renting if not buying.
I give Man on the Moon 4 out of 5 stars
Review written June 12, 2000
