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[matt] 
"Cinemattic."
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 Posted - 12/27/2008 : 02:34:13
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Just saw this tonight, and despite not entirely great reviews, I really liked it!
I found it really funny, quite touching at times, and actually inspiring; it makes you want to take up the 'say yes' philosophy yourself. While it's not exactly a million miles away from some of his previous roles, Carrey isn't too OTT which perhaps makes his character more believable than normal.
There are some great performances by John Michael Higgins (the 'yes man' Nick) and Terence Stamp as the 'guru', and Zooey Deschanel brings her natural sweetness and charm. Also, anyone who enjoyed her singing in Elf will be pleased to know she does some more of that in this.
All in all, a really feel-good movie with plenty of laughs.
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Demisemicenturian 
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 12/27/2008 : 10:25:08
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Yes Man
It's one of those films that I enjoyed quite a lot at the time, but which doesn't have such a strong lasting effect, so it's probably a 3/5 from me. I liked the idea to fictionalise Danny Wallace's project, and found all the performances good, and you're right about Carrey's being pitched at the right level. And I laughed out loud quite a lot. |
Edited by - Demisemicenturian on 12/27/2008 10:28:18 |
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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 12/29/2008 : 17:33:23
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Very enjoyable - Carrey really has learned to rein it in and is far funnier for it. The weak link is in trying to impose a story-structure on what was essentially a media idea by UK comedy-strange-person Danny Wallace, who occasionally works with the likes of Dave Gorman to present to the public bizarre ideas. He's not candid camera, nor Borat. Like this one time - he got some phone books and randomly dialled numbers all over the world and recorded conversations with whomever answered.
He's sort of half-way between a sociologist and an entertainer. This Yes Man idea was one of his whizzo-ideas.
But to dramatize it - not just document it - he needed a story, even a sliver of a story. And, yeah, we do get a sliver - but it's pretty cheesy and turns into a commitment-avoider meeting girl-bizarro and getting it on during the time he's roped into this saying yes thing. Danny gave it six months - Carrey commits to a year.
But, as they say in the Zen world - the going is the goal, and along the way there's a good time to be had. Not great, but not preachy either.
Just say yes.
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MisterBadIdea 
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 12/30/2008 : 05:57:33
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Bad bad bad. Bad movie. Generic, boring, stock, does nothing at all interesting or unexpected. I hate the scenes in movies where the love interest says something like "You didn't tell me you were a Yes Man/Wedding Crasher/40-Year-Old Virgin" and spontaneously breaks up with little justification. "Yes Man" has drawn a lot of comparison to "Liar Liar" but I don't see it. In "Liar Liar" Jim Carrey had to tell the truth because he was under a spell. In "Yes Man" Jim Carrey has to say yes to everything because he chooses to. Big difference. In most cases, Jim Carrey acts all crazy and Jim Carrey-like because he's under the influence of things like godlike powers or an enchanted mask. Here he just acts like that because he's weird. Also, Jim Carrey starts the movie as a sad sack but he's still more animated than most people when they win the lottery.
Still, god bless Zooey Deschanel. I'd watch her in anything, and she almost makes this movie work. That Hollywood Bowl scene was a keeper. |
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Yes Man
