Romantic comedy starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. Steven Russell (Carrey) is a happily married police officer, churchgoer and upstanding citizen of his local community. One day, a car accident dramatically snaps him out of this average existence. Steven realises that he is gay and embarks on a flamboyant and extravagant new lifestyle. Drawing on his knowledge of crime from his days in the police force, he turns to conmanship to pay for his luxurious new life, and eventually finds himself in prison for fraud. There he falls in love with the sweet-natured and sensitive Phillip Morris (McGregor), and channels his powers of ingenuity and daredevilry into his plan to escape jail and build the perfect life with Phillip.
| Starring: |
Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Michael Showers, Denise Robin, Liann Pattison, DeVere Jehl, Annie Golden, Griff Furst, Tommy Davis, Beth Burvant |
| Director: |
Glenn Ficarra, John Requa |
| Run time: |
97 minutes |
| Languages: |
English |
| Distributor: |
|
MyMovies
Jim Carrey, also known as Hollywood's Mr Marmite, takes on one of the most challenging roles of his career as ...
Jim Carrey, also known as Hollywood's Mr Marmite, takes on one of the most challenging roles of his career as he sets about adopting the persona of Steven Russell - a charismatic, lovelorn gay con man.Steven is happily married, an enthusiastic member of the local church and a respected police officer. Yet, after he is badly injured in a car accident, Steven undergoes an epiphany: he realises that he is gay. Gloriously gay. Unashamedly, unapologetically gay. And he's going to live his life to the fullest. Although, as Steven himself attests, "being gay is expensive".And so begins a whirlwind journey of law-bending to finance Steven's extravagant new lifestyle; his crimes catch up with him, however, and he soon finds himself in jail. It is there that he meets kindred spirit Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) and the two quickly fall in love. Once released, it's not long before Steven is back to his old ways, scamming everyone in sight to provide a life of luxury for himself and his new love. Yet, once again, the police wind up on Steven's tail and he is forced to stage a series of elaborate prison breaks in the name of love.Based on a real-life story, Phillip Morris would only have stood a chance of working if Jim Carrey gave the performance of a lifetime; lo and behold, the rubber-faced funnyman's done just that. Displaying the full array of his acting armoury, Carrey gives a hilarious, touching and wildly entertaining turn as the remarkable Steven Russell. Proving that he is equally adept at both physical comedy and drama, Carrey shows that he has the skill and confidence to pull off such a difficult role.The film itself is a relentlessly enjoyable ride with plenty of hilarious gags and moments of genuine emotion, particularly between Carrey and McGregor. Although McGregor's character is underdeveloped, this doesn't significantly detract from a film that offers so much to appreciate. Suffice to say, we love I Love You Phillip Morris.
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Press Association
Jim Carrey delivers his best dramatic performance since Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind in this improbable and utterly incredible ...
Jim Carrey delivers his best dramatic performance since Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind in this improbable and utterly incredible true story. Based on a novel by investigative reporter Steve McVicker, I Love You Phillip Morris charts the romance of two prison inmates and their subsequent journey of self-discovery on both sides of the bars. Writer-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Bad Santa) strike a pleasing balance between laughter and soul-searching in this oddball comedy. Crucially, Carrey generates smouldering screen chemistry with co-star Ewan McGregor, convincing us that undying love and a daredevil spirit can overcome anything. Truth is far, far stranger than Ficarra and Requa's entertaining fiction, which takes dramatic licence with dialogue and abbreviates the exploits of their white collar criminal during the 1980s and 1990s, who escaped incarceration four times and has paid a terrible price for humiliating the US prison service. The real Stephen Russell was handed a 144-year sentence and must spend 23 hours every day confined to his cell without visitors. That's no laughing matter. When we first meet Stephen (Carrey), he is a happily married police officer with a beautiful wife, Debbie (Leslie Mann), and young daughter. However, the family man has a secret: He is gay. When he can no longer keep the secret, Stephen comes out to his wife and moves to Florida with boyfriend Jimmy (Rodrigo Santoro). The cost of living fabulously is perilously high, and Stephen breaks the law to finance his lavish tastes. The authorities eventually catch up with the swindler and sentence him to time in prison where he meets softly spoken Phillip Morris (McGregor). The attraction is instant, and Stephen schemes to become his lover's cellmate. When he finally gains parole, Stephen poses as a lawyer to get Phillip out of prison early, but once they are united on the outside, the former con man struggles to mend his ways. Phillip la, nds a high-profile position as chief financial officer at a large corporation, where the temptation to embezzle is irresistible. When the police invariably come knocking for their man, Phillip is distraught: "I don't care about the money," he pleads, "All I want is you. I just want us to be together." I Love You Phillip Morris is sweet, sexy and at times hilarious, posing the obvious dilemma: Can a gay con man go straight? Carrey keeps his usual nervous tics and funny voices in check and the rapport with McGregor, sporting a Southern accent and cropped blond hair, anchors the picture. Ficarra and Requa treat characters with affection and don't shy away from the physicality of Stephen and Phillip's relationship, creating a wonderfully odd couple. We believe in the characters and root for them, even though we know that everything Phillip says and does is for his own financial and emotional gain.
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