MAN ON THE MOON R
Starring Jim Carrey, Courteney Love, Danny DeVito, and Jerry Lawlor
Eric says: ******* (7)
So, I just saw "The People vs Andy Kaufman", uh, I mean "Man on the Moon", the other day. Milos Forman once again has taken a well-known yet not fully understood American figure and shone some light on their life. Just replace hard-core porn with performance art. Paralysis with cancer. Courtney Love with Courtney Love.
Jim Carrey has, as everyone has said, immersed himself wholly in Kaufman. And while it is good, I still can't elevate it above an impersonation. Especially with the cast of Taxi popping up, it really did feel like an In Living Color skit, which is a shame. So, why, you say, such a high rating? Even in Carrey's impersonation, he is still outstanding as the misunderstood song and dance man. Also, Love is a breath of fresh air, looking fresh and youthful (very good acting considering her super-skank past) as Kaufman's eventual wife.
Bottom line, though, is that you can see most of what is in the movie in a Comedy Central tribute to the real Kaufman. Such an irreverant man would probably be very disappointed in such a story. A mixed bag.
David says: ********** (4)
I didn't like Taxi (in fact, I don't like 99% of sitcoms), so I can't seriously compare Carrey' performance to Kaufman. That said, Carrey's performance was excellent, a very realistic portrayal of a very confusing person.
Unfortunatly, the only good thing to the movie is Carrey. There is no good story line. Instead, this feels like a series of of individuals scenes, that where badly pasted together. Wait - I think I see some Scotch Tape there.. Imagine a persons life is like a a fine Persian rug. This movie shows not the tapestry, not the designs, but a pile of disconnected & unjoined threads.