Jim Carrey is certainly one of the most successful comedians working today. The maniacal manipulations of his body and face have propelled Carrey to over $1 billion in worldwide box office revenues. But Carrey is a broad comic. He has only faltered once thus far, with "The Cable Guy," and it was because he couldn't tackle the refinements of a subtler and darker kind of comedy.
To the great relief of his fans everywhere, Carrey has returned to his slapstick roots with his latest release, "Liar Liar." However, Carrey could never be happy with pure "Ace Ventura" roles his entire career. So this time around he has attempted an acting feat that may well be as far beyond his vast talents as satire was.
With "Liar Liar," we are supposed to accept Carrey as a normal, everyday human being, albeit a rich, unscrupulous lawyer. What's more, he wants us to accept him as a good father. Well, there is only one problem: try as he might (and does he try) Carrey cannot be normal.
"Liar Liar" tells the story of Fletcher Cooper (Jim Carrey), a lawyer who lies his way through life, standing up his son (Justin Cooper) and ex-wife (Maury Tierney) on a regular basis. The last straw comes when Fletcher fails to show up at his son's birthday because he's screwing his boss (Amanda Donohoe of "L.A. Law" fame). Devastated, his son wishes that for 24 hours Fletcher cannot lie.
Surprise! The wish comes true and the movie comes alive. At first, Fletcher cannot accept his new condition. He goes to great lengths to attempt to lie or to avoid having to tell the truth, including a strange and unnecessary masochistic scene in the courthouse bathroom.
Soon, however, Fletcher learns the value of honesty, repents, and has to convince his son and ex-wife that he has truly had an epiphany. Hmm...the story of a man in a notoriously dishonest industry who finds redemption in the truth and with it, a wife and son. Sound familiar?
It is, in fact, "Liar Liar's" similarity to "Jerry Maguire" that hurts this film. "Jerry Maguire" worked so well because it was funny and (in large part because of Tom Cruise) it stunk of humanistic truth. Frankly, Jim Carrey just cannot pull off the tender scenes with his son and ex-wife. He looks ridiculous trying to be serious. Just when a scene is approaching tenderness, Carrey makes an impossibly strange face, and it is up to the audience whether to laugh or to feel warmed.
But it is exactly Carrey's mastery of the ludicrous that makes him such a brilliant physical comic. And when Carrey is set free during the middle part of the film, some of the comedy is nothing short of genius. There is a scene in a board room that will leave you rolling in the aisles. During the credits there are some out takes of Carrey's hilarious improvisations. Director Tom Shadyac ("The Nutty Professor") would have been wise to keep more of those moments and thrown out some of the kitschy emotionalism.
Overall, though, the film is consistently funny. The beginning and end are even bearable, thanks to a fine performance by "Newsradio's" Tierney. And in between Carrey fans will find him in top form. The humor is once again well within Carrey's limits, with subject matter ranging from fat jokes to fart jokes.
It is Carry's raucous humor that has carried his career thus far. While a bold attempt at portraying Carrey as as a more dynamic actor is made in "Liar Liar," the audience is not able to forget the zany moments of his past.
For those looking to find the Jim Carrey that was absent from "The Cable Guy," this film will not disappoint. Just like Carrey himself, "Liar Liar" is funny, gross, and very entertaining. Let us just hope that Carrey does not turn his attention to serious dramatic roles for a long while.
