I love you, Phillip Morris ((Very Few in the Way of Spoilers))
First off, Kudos to Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor for playing two men in love. Not since Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" and before that perhaps "My Private Idaho" with River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves has a mainstream (or nearly mainstream) film portrayed gay men or a man in love and not have it be wrong, dirty, punished, or the butt of an ignorant joke. These two actors have proven themselves so they didn't NEED to play these roles. Yet they did, and in a way that, except for a couple brief missteps, shows the inside of a loving homosexual relationship or home life. They both were so engaging and believable, especially Mcgregor.
You see:
And to be frank and honest because I am not ashamed, I am half gay myself. I suppose outsiders call me bi. My life mate (Yearrgsworth) of nearly 5 years is male. Yet if all his personality, intellect, hobbies, and kindness were the exact same yet came in the body of a woman instead, I would still have a life partner of five years. She would just be the same sex as I. I fall in love with people, their insides, their thoughts, feelings, expressions, ideas. What's between their legs is unimportant to me. It's what they say and do with the other 95% of their life that draws me to or repels me from a person. Again, if that was TMFI, my most humble of apologies. I just felt you might understand my review of "I love you, Phillip Morris" more if you understood how this 'critic' feels on gay (or as you guys told me last time that you prefer) queer lifestyles and people.
There was some 'sex humour', but Jesus, there is so much toilet, trash, sex humour in "straight" pictures too. I find them tacky in those usually as well, so that didn't offend me. The film, which I suppose is a comedy sprinkled with tragedy, starts off well. We laughed and it was light hearted. At first. Then it took some twists and turns and we had trouble knowing who or what to root for. Usually, I ADORE nonlinear, experimental, keep you on your toes films. That's wonderful. Yet here, it didn't sit well with me or us.
Then it would bring you back into the world of these people and you were recaptured by the romantic and conceptual net. But something else would happen, and a rolling in the stomach would occur. I love these so called "Dramadies" and black humour films like 'Saved' or 'But I am a Cheerleader' (which has ties to this film) but in this 'hit you over the head, I can't live without you, I would do anything to make you happy', type of passion and love, (you know you have been there at least once) you don't want the 'romance' to go to weird places in which you don't want to follow. At least, I do not.
As fabulous as sections were, this flick needed... I don't know, a little polishing. Perhaps a toss at another, impartial screenwriter. It's like, they were ALMOST there, oh so close, but the ending left me unsatisfied. I felt betrayed, upset, sad, and that's not how a romance movie should part ways with it's audience.
Again, I applaud these big names for doing this picture. It will open the door for more "Queer Cinema" that WILL be tighter, a tad bit stronger, and more people in Minnesota or Tennessee will be able to enjoy the story of love without caring that it's two men, two woman, a threeway love fest or a transgendered character. They will just root for the protagonist by their NAME.
Changes are coming....Can you feel it?!? =)
Zuzu