I Love You, Philip Morris
(Starring Jim Carey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann)
Is Jim Carey’s over-the-top portrayal of a gay conman damaging to the LGBT community? Or does the real-life sociopathic Steven Russell—who Carey portrays—merit just such an outlandish treatment, no matter what his sexual orientation is? Russell was a Christian dad who used to screw men on the down-low. A terrible car accident proved that God was not looking out for him, so he joined the gay community and became a professional thief, both overnight.
Russell’s list of scams and lies only pales when compared to his stupid and daring prison escapes. He did lots of everything immoral. In prison, Russell found the love of his life, Philip Morris (a delightful McGregor). Russell vowed to provide a rich and glamorous life for Morris—who may or may not have been as innocent as he says.
The tone of this flick starts breezy and comedic, and Carey obviously shines. Then McGregor enters the picture, showing what this goof-fest could be with a subtler approach; MacGregor’s is a beautiful but anachronous performance. The film also changes tone, becoming more dramatic; it’s a shift that makes ILYPM feel like it lost wind, when it simply changed direction two-thirds the way through.
ILYPM doesn’t shy away from the gay sex and affection. It also delivers some subtle digs at shallow materialism. In the end, though, it’s a fun and fluffy film about a brilliant, deranged fool for love.
Burlesque
(Starring Cher, Christina Aguilera, Eric Dane, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Kristen Bell)
Quelle tragique! The plot of Burlesque is old, tired, stale, stereotypical, boring—there aren’t enough adjectives to describe how many hundreds of times we’ve seen this dusty storyline. The best part of this embarrassing flick is Aguilera’s powerhouse voice, dressed in sparkly costumes, hoofing out Fosse choreography that is flashy but unsurprising, dull, lifeless…
Aguilera is from small-town Iowa; she goes out to LA to become a star. There she finds the Burlesque Lounge, a show club run by grande dame Cher (doing a drag impersonation of herself.) Oh, no! Someone call up Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney to put on a show, because the club’s short on funds and about to be foreclosed! Can Aguilera and her bartender/songwriter boyfriend (Gigandet) save the place with a song? Are evil developer Dane and rival showgirl Bell going to stop her?
In movie musicals, if everything else is spectacular, you can haul out just such ham. Unfortunately, the song choices are weird; none of the tunes move the flimsy story along. The acting quality is hard to gauge with such wispy character development. However, it’s easy to tell that Cher’s wax-like plastic surgery has officially gotten in the way of her once-formidable thespian talents.
The few good moments come across as quality Aguilera music videos. The rest though, isn’t good enough to recommend, and it isn’t trashy enough to appreciate for its Showgirls-like trapping.
Tangled
(Voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy)
There is not a cynical hair in this repurposed fairy tale. Rapunzel gets the same classic treatment that remade Snow White, Cinderella, and Disney’s best musical work of the last two decades. This is the first non-Pixar computer animation that producer John Lasseter has helmed. He bravely fills Tangled with lightness and innocence.
In this version of the Brothers Grimm tale, Rapunzel (Moore) is still stolen from the king and queen. Now, however, her hair is magic, with the ability to heal and keep the witch (Murphy) young forever. It’s not a soldier but a thief (Levi) who finds the imprisoned girl and helps free her.
Moore, Levi and especially Murphy are a blast in their roles. The songs are scored by legend Alan Mencken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast). Though the lyrics are nothing to gush over, everything benefits from actors who can also sing. The animation and characterizations are pure Disney magic. The silent, animal sidekicks are classic Disney. In fact, the funniest moments are provided by a palace horse, Maximus, who is also part Keystone cop, part bloodhound.
Hidden in the sweetness is a theme about parents who selfishly hold their children back. Evil is battled with empathy and enthusiasm, not a single thread of smarminess. Tangled is a simple celebration of bravery, kindness and charm.
