I Love You Phillip Morris
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Love is a powerful thing. It can make you feel on top of the world or turn your insides into a pile of mush. Just ask Steven Jay Russell (Jim Carrey). He has broken out of prison on four separate occasions just to be with the man he loves, each time being more elaborate than the previous. Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) must be one special guy.
I Love You Phillip Morris is actually based on the true story of con artist Steven Russell, a gay man who falls in love in prison with Phillip Morris. You see, living a gay lifestyle can be very expense. Steven's cons eventually get the better of him and land him in prison. That's where he meets Phillip. The two instantly connect but prison isn't exactly the best local to have a relationship.
Part dark comedy, part romance, the film has its key moments but ultimately falls flat. Both Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor perform to the best of their abilities with the given material. The love between them appears genuine; that's one of the good things about the film is how real they make it seem. The problem is, the majority of the film is the same thing over and over again. Life is good; Steven ends up doing some con that lands him in jail; Steven escapes to be with Phillip; repeat. It's the same ups and downs repeated over and over.
At times the humor can be a little forced but there are definitely some laughs to be had. Carrey manages to bring out the best of himself in Steven, and even manages to remind me of his Liar, Liar days at points.Who I really thought was a riot was Cleavon, a prison inmate played by Michael Mandel. Every scene he was in, he was laugh out loud funny. Unfortunately, it isn't many.
I Love You Phillip Morris tackles what can be considered taboo in many peoples' eyes. The numerous delays are a sign of that fact. The story is there and there are some decent moments but the execution could have been much better. This is by no means a must see movie so perhaps wait a few months until it comes out on DVD.
- Review by Matt Rodriguez
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