Yes Man: a feel-good movie that's really worth seeing
Perhaps you've seen the trailers and thought, "Wow, that's another terrible film with Jim Carrey." After seeing The Number 23, how could I blame you? I thought the same thing myself, even though 23 was so bad it was a riot. However, a bit inexplicably, I was drawn to this film. Maybe it was the premise itself that sucked me in--a man who maintains a life of seclusion by saying "No" to everything accepts a covenant in which he must say "Yes" to every opportunity that presents itself. How then could I say no to this opportunity? Well, if you say "yes" and get yourself into the cinema, Yes Man is a blast, and I haven't had as much fun in a movie since Ratatouille.
To be honest, films that are billed as comedies are, by nature, unfunny--but Yes Man escapes the mold just enough to make you truly feel good. Instead of putting on a show and expecting you to laugh just because that's why you went to the movie, this film makes its efforts, and succeeds quite well, at fulfilling the narrative imperative of these types of films without insulting the audience with brain-dead gags and shock tactics. Further, Miss Deschanel's Allison is on par with Anna Karina's performance in Vivre sa vie, if not quite Une femme est une femme, and she's got the costumes to match. Too many times I caught myself falling in love with her, wishing Allison were real.
In my circle of friends, I'm an outcast for despising Arrested Development, The Flight of the Conchords, and the American version of The Office. But it's not because I am a miserable old coot that can't be made to laugh--it's because those shows aren't funny. Yes Man definitely is, and will have you laughing all the way home.
To be honest, films that are billed as comedies are, by nature, unfunny--but Yes Man escapes the mold just enough to make you truly feel good. Instead of putting on a show and expecting you to laugh just because that's why you went to the movie, this film makes its efforts, and succeeds quite well, at fulfilling the narrative imperative of these types of films without insulting the audience with brain-dead gags and shock tactics. Further, Miss Deschanel's Allison is on par with Anna Karina's performance in Vivre sa vie, if not quite Une femme est une femme, and she's got the costumes to match. Too many times I caught myself falling in love with her, wishing Allison were real.
In my circle of friends, I'm an outcast for despising Arrested Development, The Flight of the Conchords, and the American version of The Office. But it's not because I am a miserable old coot that can't be made to laugh--it's because those shows aren't funny. Yes Man definitely is, and will have you laughing all the way home.