Call for Phillip Morris

Catch and release zany escapades go in and out of prison and gay lifestyles
By Morgan P Salvo

I thought this flick was a cigarette ad at first but was I ever mistaken. It's taken almost two years for the whacked out hilarious comedy I Love You Phillip Morris to finally reach theaters. Premiering at Sundance in January 2009, the movie was a near-casualty of nervous U.S. distributors and in fact had a showing here at last year’s Bend Filmfest to glowing reviews. This flick lay dormant in cinematic limbo but rest assured this flick is now out in all its colorful gay pride and screwed up glory. A comedy that’s recklessly fearless perhaps producers shied away from two big stars like Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor big stars doing gay-for-pay in a crazy twist on romantic comedies.

First off I have to admit I can’t stand Jim Carrey. The only movie I really liked him in was Man in the Moon where he pretty much channeled Andy Kaufman .Other than that he can take his cartoonish rubbery face and jittery body movements way the hell outta my face. But wait! Lo and behold Carrey does a phenomenal job in this flick. I mean it! So did McGregor who has been pissing me off with his movies choice for about half a decade. Plus the movie itself is a well written comedy/dramedy/tragedy by directors John Requa, Glenn Ficarra (the Bad Santa team) and is like a combination of Raising Arizona meets Catch me if you can.
Starting out with “this really happened, really it did” ILYPM is based on Houston Press reporter Steve McVicker's 2003 book about the real-life adventures of multi-talented con man who frustrated and embarrassed detectives and jailers for years. Steven Russell (Carrey), an ultra hetero leading the straight and narrow life as a Virginia Beach, Georgia cop and church organist, happy with wife, Debbie (Leslie Mann) and daughter. But Steve’s hetero existence covers the fact that he’s ramming it home to a big mustached guy on the side. Steve has a rude awakening while driving home from a secret rendezvous. The epiphany comes in the form of a near fatal car crash and some hilarious profound statements like “I'm gonna be a fag!" .Then he moves to Florida

Steve is a misguided con man, embezzling money and pretending to be a lawyer or financial investor while pathologically risk addicted and financing his messed up “high on the gay hog” lifestyle. He states at one point “being gay is expensive” which lead him to a life of crime. Finagling all his bamboozling for love never realizing he’s destroying everything he’s striving for. Winding up in prison and through his impulsive, diabolical brilliance attempts many an escape, still Steve never seems to come out of his love-fog in order to become the man he thinks he is.
I detected some “pretending” going on instead of acting but the dialogue’s humor is so well written that you forgive these minor diversions. The love stuff feels comedic throughout which is fine because it matches the tone of the movie. By the ending scenes however I totally believed their shared love-pathos..
Carrey excels in every scene. For once all his manic delivery has a purpose and he digs deep into all the more touching dramatic moments. He deftly shows us a man who’s tragically incapable of being saved from him self, a homosexual who couldn’t be legally or ethically straight, either. I think the deal is Carrey’s more believable as gay. McGregor exudes a great submissive passive personality but when he’s fed up you feel for him his tainted love.
The straight roles are a crack-up to endure and have the timing of great comedy as creepy and stupid characters emerge. The music runs the gamut from Johnny Mathis to Foghat
There are so many cool twists and turns to this story that right when you think you’ve got it figured out—forget it…it is full of constant surprises. This go-for-broke nastiness story of love and crime is definitely not for the homophobe or homo-squeamish but anytime a scene verges on corny or schmaltzy a laugh-out-loud piece of dialogue appears sometimes off screen that can have you rolling in the aisles. I could go on and on quoting lines from this movie here or relating hilarious visuals (watch for a certain cloud formation or the Screecher), but really just go see it for your self to get the full effect.
I went into his movie leery of a Jim Carrey vehicle that would be like fingernails on a blackboard but I came out of this movie still snickering to myself at how freaking funny and well made this flick really is.

I Love You Philip Morris
Starring Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Antoni Corone
Directed by John Requa Glenn Ficarra
Rated R
3 1/2 stars