Yes Man
Jim Carrey stars in Danny Wallace adaptation Yes Man
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Saturday, 20, Dec 2008 03:25
Directed by Peyton Reed, out date December 26th, starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Terence Stamp, Bradley Cooper, running time 104 mins.
In a nutshell.
Feel-good, lightweight, Jim Carrey, rom-com.
What's it all about?
Carl Allen (Carrey) is a man without focus. Divorced and stuck in an unrewarding job, he has managed to almost completely isolate himself from reality. A chance encounter with an old friend sees him attend a self-help conference where he agrees to say "yes" to every opportunity, proposal or dilemma placed in front of him - no matter what.
Based on the real-life story of British journalist Danny Wallace - who spent six months doing the same in a bid to improve his life and attitude towards it - Yes Man is an attempt to take a simple concept and explore how self-improvement can affect those around you.
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Who's in it?
Yes Man marks the first onscreen appearance of Jim Carrey since the poorly-received 2007 horror thriller The Number 23 and sees its star back on familiar high-concept comedy ground - having made his name in such legendary comic turns as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber and Liar Liar.
Primarily a TV director, Peyton Reed follows up cult cheerleader movie Bring It On and 60s period romance Down With Love with this. Appearances from General Zod himself, Terrence Stamp, and a love interest in the form of Elf's Zooey Deschanel round out the stars in this feel-good holiday romp.
As an example.
"I do want to take guitar lessons. I do want to learn how to fly. Yes, I would like to learn Korean." - Carl Allen gets into the swing of things, plucking services indiscriminately from a bulletin board.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
It is pretty clear that Yes Man is a vehicle looking to restore the fortunes of its lead actor, while making full use of his marketability and undeniable talent to score box office gold.
However, as former glories including Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and How The Grinch Stole Christmas failed to trouble the Academy on their release, perhaps an MTV award is probably the most Mr Carrey can hope for.
What the others say
"Carrey's most satisfying live-action effort since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the Peyton Reed-directed concept comedy finds its star in a notably relaxed place [while] still managing to work in a bit of his trademark manic shtick." - Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
"Not as consistently funny as some of Carrey's earlier films, although it does have its fair share of laugh out loud moments." - Simon Brew, Den Of Geek
So is it any good?
There are two types of people in this world, people who like Jim Carrey and people who don't. However, just to be awkward I count myself among the people in the middle - which makes my point not only flawed but also largely irrelevant.
Unfortunately, it is these two words that best sum up Yes Man. Flawed in its clunky script and awkwardly-paced execution and irrelevant in its similarity to plots done before and done better - most notably by Carrey himself.
Neither the high-concept comedy of Liar Liar's lawyer-who-can't-lie-for-a-day, nor the thoughtful voyage of discovery played out in The Truman Show, Yes Man chooses instead to walk the line between both - and succeeds in neither.
Strangely enough, it is the love interest in the film - so often the Hollywood filler in such adaptations - that perhaps works best. Deschanel and Carrey have a sweet onscreen chemistry that for the most part remains saccharine-free and is both charming and believable.
Other highlights include scene-stealing bouts from Allen's nerdy boss Norm - played to perfection by Flight of the Conchords star Rhys Darby - and a subtle soundtrack that draws on the acoustic back catalogue of Eels. But apart from that, this is a disappointing experience which just stalls too often.
Sorry Mr Carrey, but I'm going to have to say no.
5/10
Noel Mellor