I Love You Phillip Morris MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +1 Content: -4

Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor. Comedy/drama. Written & directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Jim Carrey stars in this improbable but true story of a charismatic conman's journey from small-town businessman to flamboyant white-collar criminal, who repeatedly finds himself in trouble with the law and on the lam. Steven Russell came out of the closet, leaving his wife and child behind in order to find happiness in the gay community. To support his lovers, he found ways of committing fraud (this larceny is played lightheartedly) and was able to escape from the Texas prison system on four separate occasions, assume other identities and successfully get his gay lover/cellmate released.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I suspect I’ll be called homophobic by the activists who spend their day searching the Internet for any dialogue they may consider threatening to the gay cause, but I don’t like viewing men kissing, or performing sexual intercourse, or being playfully intimate, as if the twosome were preteen girls experimenting with newfound sexuality. If that’s not your cup of tea either, then be forewarned that there is a great deal of such activity in Jim Carrey’s newest bid for Oscar attention.

I’m not sure what the point of the film is, other than to take another swipe at George Bush (gee, we haven’t seen that enough at the movies). You see, according to the film, the state of Texas was embarrassed by Steven Russell’s ability to escape from prison. And since George Bush was then governor, he surely was to blame for what the film is proclaiming to be incompetency on the part of the penal system. I’m not a fan of President Bush, but the continued vitriolic attack on the former president causes me to question the entertainment industry’s motives. Think they’d be as mocking of our present fearless leader?

There are some funny moments, but sadly most of the film’s humor is derived from bawdy or downright crude situations. Is it insightful? Not much, other than it reminds us that there are people out there who will justify crimes in order to achieve their goals. And that doesn’t really seem the purpose of the plot. The leads are portrayed as victims, not of their own obsessions, but of society’s boundaries. Bad old society. Boo, hiss.

Will gays be supportive of this film? I can’t see why. The mockish mood does little to champion gay rights. The lead characters come across as unstable, unable to mature mentally. Indeed, they seem somewhat unhinged, living life not just as if they were in a pink-tinged cartoon, but rather existing in a fuchsia-laden state of demented fantasy. Is that how gay men want to be portrayed in the movies?

Preview Reviewer: Phil Boatwright
Distributor: Roadside Attractions