I Love You, Phillip Morris
Director: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Year Released: 2009
Rating: 2.0
A police officer (Jim Carrey) changes his entire lifestyle after a car accident, coming to terms with his homosexuality and embracing mischief to pay for his luxuries - but that merriment and swindling gets him arrested and in jail, where he meets the love of his life, Phillip Morris (an unconvincing Ewan McGregor). Steven Spielberg got a similar story so very right with Catch Me If You Can - another tale of a blissful con man (albeit one that 'won' in the end and had Daddy Issues instead of Mommy Issues) - but this wavers in tone: the dark elements undermine the comedic aspects (in short: it isn't funny) and the handling of the gay aspects is heavy-handed (Look! Jim Carrey pounding some dude! Look! Jim and Ewan smooching!), as if they're using it for 'shock value.' The fact that much of this is based on a real person does add to its credibility, and some of his creative ways of evading trouble, escaping jail and forging documents are jaw-dropping.
