In the movie I Love You Phillip Morris, Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor portray gay lovers who meet in prison. I’ll pause for a moment while narrow-minded readers abandon this review and click somewhere else.
Still with me? Good. Because those who would ignore or dismiss this movie because of the gay subject matter or the thought of watching two well-known actors portraying homosexuals in a comedy are missing out on a funny, touching, and TRUE story (not to mention the fact that it’s cleverly written and directed, and features two outstanding lead performances).
“This really happened. It really did,” the film doubly confirms for us at the beginning, and that reiteration is necessary because the ensuing saga, though true, is based on a lot of lies. Steven Russell (Carrey) grew up as an adopted son in Georgia, eventually marrying Debbie (Leslie Mann), a devout Christian, and starting a family. But an encounter with his birth mother (in a marvelous scene that walks a sharp edge between pathos and hilarity) leads Steven to change jobs and move his family to Texas. Then reality literally comes crashing into his life, and he confesses to Debbie that he’s been living a lie–he’s gay.
Steven relocates to Florida, takes up with handsome loverboy Jimmy (Rodrigo Santoro), and discovers that living the gay high life comes with a hefty price tag. So Steven becomes a con man, committing insurance fraud and other schemes to support his swingin’ lifestyle, as well as his wife and family in Texas. Eventually the law catches up to him and he’s sent to prison, where he soon meets Phillip Morris (McGregor), a blond-haired, blue-eyed gay inmate who’s afraid to even set foot in the prison yard. Steven immediately takes Phillip under his wing, into his cell, and into his heart. Steven finds true love with Phillip, and begins to do anything and everything it takes to keep them together.
I Love You Phillip Morris already opened internationally earlier this year, but its release was delayed in the United States, where it struggled to find a distributor and was reportedly re-edited to tone the subject matter down for uptight American audiences. That’s somewhat hard to fathom given the critical and box-office success of Brokeback Mountain just a few years ago. That movie didn’t have A-list stars either, although it made one of Heath Ledger. But, of course, that was a drama, because Hollywood usually depicts homosexuality as a very serious subject fraught with introspection and heart-rending emotion, an obstacle that the lead characters must grapple with and overcome, and that their families and friends must learn to accept. It’s a bit like how the psychiatric profession used to classify and treat homosexuality as a disorder; the medical world may have advanced beyond that thinking, but its remnants still echo throughout Tinseltown.
On the other hand, Hollywood makes gay comedies, too, but they’re often of the over-the-top drag queen variety such as The Birdcage and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. It seems to be more acceptable to watch a gay-themed comedy when it’s farcical and campy, particularly when it features well-known actors whooping it up in wigs, makeup and dresses.
In contrast, I Love You Phillip Morris skillfully draws from the best of both worlds. It’s definitely comedic thanks to the witty script and sly direction by the cowriters of Bad Santa, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. They don’t depict the two lead characters as typical limp-wristed caricatures, which keeps the story much more believable. In fact, the funniest and most shocking moments don’t come from outlandishly gay buffoonery or explicit content (although there is some pelvic thrusting, both homosexual and heterosexual); the laughter and shock stems from the increasing outrageousness of the story and the incredulous amazement that these events really did happen. Steven Russell and Phillip Morris become a couple you laugh (and cry) with, not laugh at.
Jim Carrey is not a particular favorite of mine; I usually find his style of humor too clownish and attention-seeking, preferring those times when he’s modulated that hyper persona in more serious and structured works like The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. Here he returns somewhat to his rubbery facial expressions and wilder performance style, but that’s actually effective because he’s playing a con man pulling the wool over many eyes in many different situations and because it’s a true story. Carrey also pulls off his dramatic scenes with true, tearjerking aplomb. He’s perfectly cast in one of the best roles of his career.
And as the titular Phillip Morris, Ewan McGregor is both touching and funny. I’m more impressed by him with nearly every new movie, and here he adds another terrific performance to his résumé. His Southern drawl is exquisite, and his reasoning and emotional landscape are understandable and believable every step of the way. McGregor truly shines in this role. The moments he shares with Carrey are heartfelt and powerful, and it’s a testament to the talents of both cast and filmmakers that even when the strongest dramatic scenes are punctuated with a comic line or bit, such flair actually enhances the dramatic tension instead of detracting from it.
Since Jim Carrey hasn’t had a big hit for a while, his star has lost a little of its luster. I wouldn’t be surprised if people dismiss I Love You Phillip Morris as his attempt to gain indie cred by doing a “controversial” role. Some may wait for it on home video rather than endure the aspersions, real or imagined, cast by seeing it in public. Gay, straight, or whatever, just put your discriminations aside–anyone can enjoy this film.
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