Movie #408 - Liar Liar

Liar Liar

1997 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 26 min
Director: Tom Shadyac
Starring: Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Carey Elwes, Jennifer Tilly, Swoosie Kurtz, Cheri Oteri

I'm glad we finally added this one to the Wall.  It's always been a favorite Carrey film of mine, because he gets to be both wacky and serious, all in one movie.  Sometimes all Carrey crazy is too much for me, so the balance gives this one more appeal to me.  And the little kid is pretty cute too.

In other news, Maura Tierney is the most famous alumnae of my high school. So that's pretty cool.  I learned that somewhere around the time that this movie came out.  We had the same English teacher. Weird.

Back to the movie... what better person to not be able to lie for a day than a lawyer? Right? I think the best sequence is in that courtroom, all the blue pen bit and the office quick-fire insults are also lots of fun.  But trying to turn the truth into something ambiguous is a tall order and it's scripted perfectly in that courtroom scene (you know, after he beats himself up in the bathroom then voluntarily stays to finish the hearing. Poor guy.)

And it's got a nice warm fuzzy ending for the hopeless romantics out there.  All around, lots of fun.

Movie #402 - Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

2004 - Rated PG - 1 hr 48 min
Director: Brad Silberling
Starring: Jim Carrey, Jude Law, Liam Aiken, Emily Browning, Timothy Spall, Catherine O'Hara, Billy Connolly, Meryl Streep, Luis Guzman, Jamie Harris, Craig Ferguson, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Adams

Hey, little Emily Browning... before you were that girl from Sucker Punch! As the eldest Beaudelaire child, she's quick-witted and self-assured here.  Also caring to her kinda-weird younger siblings.  The family unit formed here is believable, which makes the movie really work.

With a cast of big-named stars parading by, it would otherwise be very hard to focus on the point of this movie.  Carrey's Olaf is big, bold, and pretty eccentric. Over the top, as is his usual. Billy Connolly gives a nice, heartwarming Uncle Monty and Meryl Streep's worry-wort Aunt is a joy to watch as well.  But the focus stays nicely on the kids, who pass through this Series of Unfortunate Events with gusto. Poor things.

I did like this one -- although I haven't read the books -- and I had hoped the franchise would carry on, turning more of the books into movies.  It doesn't seem like that's going to happen (seven years later), so if I want all those questions answered -- what is the deal with the spyglass? -- I guess I'll have to read the books.  Maybe they'll make good bedtime stories for my kids some day.

Movie #187 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2004 - Rated R - 1 hr 48 min
Director: Michel Gondry
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst

Oh.... this movie.

I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it, and my love has not waivered.  By now, I've watched it a dozen times and I still have to go by Kate Winslet's hair color to make sure I know what point in time we're in. 

The concept of this movie - the ability to wipe away the memories of a lost love from your life - is a highly polarizing one, but a fascinating one all the same.  Would you do it? Should you do it? And what happens if during the procedure you change your mind, like Jim Carrey does? The sequence of them hiding in his early memories is so imaginative and so much fun to watch.  By the end, you're really hoping they'll win.

The best part about this movie is that it doesn't just involve the procedure.  It covers the before, during, and after. And even throws in a case of extreme after with Kirsten Dunst, who reacts to it in a way surprising for her character but not surprising in general.  To go from worshipping the process and its creator, to suddenly being its victim.  She does a brilliant job with this, and sets into motion the resolution for Carrey and Winslet as well.  I'm glad it doens't just end with them forgetting each other.  It's too far-fetched to think people who loved each other once wouldn't gravitate back to each other.  Here, it's handled very well and very realistically.

One of my faves, by far.

Movie #99 - Bruce Almighty

Bruce Almighty
Universal Pictures
2003 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 41 min
Director: Tom Shadyac
Starring: Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, Morgan Freeman, Steve Carell

Whoever decided that Jim Carrey could play God for a day was a genius... I love this movie.  Alright, so there's nothing epic or life-changing about it.  But it's a sweet story about one man's personal redemption... under very unique circumstances.

Of course, he has to use his powers for the things that any man would, at least at the beginning.  You know, making his girlfriend's boobs bigger and sabotaging the competition to get ahead at work (bravo, Steve Carell, on acting completely insane in that scene).  Trying to skip out on the responsibility by saying 'yes' to everyone? Rookie mistake.  Sure this movie is a 'gimmick,' but it's definitely a gimmick that's well done and fun to watch evolve.  Also Jennifer Aniston is highly underrated, but very good as Bruce's unlucky girlfriend.

PS - Morgan Freeman is probably the best 'God' since George Burns in 'Oh, God!'

Movie #56 - Batman Forever

Batman Forever
Warner Bros. Pictures
1995 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 1 min
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell
New Batman, new director, new look... kinda. These films are still a dark interpretation of the comic series, without being 100% comic. Some of the modern hero movies / graphic novel movies seem straight off the page, a really interesting and aesthetic approach. The Batman movies seem to get lost in the pages... maybe that's my problem with these earlier movies.

Anyway, Val Kilmer is not as gritty a Batman as Michael Keaton (or Christian Bale for that matter) but he plays the suave Bruce Wayne pretty well. Is it intentional that the Harvey Dent that was Lando Calrissian in the first movie is now Tommy Lee Jones? Or are we okay with it because there's a new Batman? Whatever.

Anyway, Jim Carrey is just... weird. Not sure why he's in this movie. Jones is pretty gross looking and definitely has split personality issues, but that's to be expected. I hear being drenched in acid can make you go nuts, so I'm not going to judge him for that. And if he wants to have a girlfriend for each side of his face, more power too him.

The one thing that really does bother me about this movie is Nicole Kidman's character Chase Meridian. She's supposed to be this big, smart psychologist who wants to study Batman's psyche and diagnose his inner pain. She makes all these comments about how he probably has a troubled past. Then she talks to Bruce Wayne about his troubled past. Somehow, she can't connect the dots. I wanted to shake her a couple of times.

Otherwise, this movie wasn't terrible...

Movie #13 - Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Morgan Creek
1994 - Rated R - 1 hr 27 min
Director: Tom Shadyac
Starring: Jim Carrey, Sean Young, Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, and Dan Marino

This movie was not as funny as I remembered it being... big shocker. Of course, some of the lines are still pretty good, but for the most part there was no knee-slapping from me. Ace Ventura is the quintessential 90's Jim Carrey - absolutely nuts, able to grotesquely disable his face, and willing to do just about anything for the laugh.

I can't quite understand why every woman in this movie wants to do him. Is it the Hawaiian shirts? The no-holds-barred comedy? The outrageous haircut? The talking butt hole? No one knows. I'm especially baffled by Courtney Cox's attraction to him, but her relationship with Ace certainly explains her marriage to David Arquette.

Anyway, I was glad to check this one off the list... and not exactly thrilled to return to it anytime soon.