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Steven Russell is happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force when a car accident provokes a dramatic reassessment of his life...
Jim Carrey: Steven Russell
Ewan McGregor: Phillip Morris
I Love You Phillip Morris, the new film which was conceived, written and directed by Glen Ficarra and John Requa, the ones also behind the darkly delicious Bad Santa. Reminiscent of Bad Santa, this film effectively balances humour with some very dark themes, though I would say the overall tone is not nearly as bleak as it evolves into later a comedy, then merges emotion with hope. Then defies our belief with surprise.
Yes my friends...This is based on real life. Yes this really does shock and tantalise and yes it proves the truth really is stranger than fiction.
The central character is Steven Russell a newly discovered gay and a con-man and having 'come out', as the former if not the latter, he concludes that the kind of homosexual lifestyle he has grown accustomed to is going to be very expensive. Until he is caught he seemed to me to be a very successful con-man, but not successful enough and he ends up in prison where he meets and falls in love with, (very quickly, and not so much across a crowded room as across an empty prison library), said Phillip Morris. His love for Phillip seems irrational and all-encompassing and when he is released he uses his powers of conman ship to get Phillip released too. After that his life is dedicated to earning or rather conning his employers out of enough money to keep Phillip happy. Or is it? I was burdened with the distinctive impression that Steven became so caught up in his own deceptions he almost forgot Phillip existed. Finally he is caught and imprisoned again and the rest of their lives are spent in and out of various prisons. Steven Russel serving a life sentence after embarrassing the system and Bush's US system, which was probably a good side to all this.
It's a touching tale, a love story and what a love...What a love indeed. The issue of their sexuality is not an issue at all. It's essentially an autobiographical account of Steven Russel whom falls in love with Phillip Morris and he wants to make him happy despite being an overt con man whom changes his identity more than some of us have had hot dinners.
Substantial performances from Jim Carrey (Oscar nomination possibly) as Steven and Ewan McGregor, (his best part and best performance in years), as Phillip go a long way to boost the film's charisma, flow and essential characteristics and poise. Not that Steven is a particularly likable guy, he's certainly a fascinating, corrupted ball of chaotic fun.
His sexuality is in essence entwined with his nature and the cloud spying which in turn resemble cocks, being raised by an adopted family and being abandoned by an unwanting mother. His hyperactive imagination and over-the-top personality are truly inspirational. His life becomes one of lies because he is essentially living in a World which has let him down in turn. He is a victim of societies weakness to meet the needs of the people it holds. The truth is Steven should have gone into acting, and you can't help but sympathize with his plight and feel the love here.
Overall, I love you Phillip Morris is one of the most original, most diverse films inspired by true events. It has quite literally balls to follow through on the gold laden material it indulges. Jim Carrey quite possibly gives one of his finest performances since Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind which was also emotional and full of original script writing. The beauty and genius of this affair is that it tricks you again and again just as Steven cons everyone in his life. His love for Phillip Morris becomes the only truth in the end, and for me that is a thing of true beauty out of all this chaos.
''I'll take care of this...Will be together soon. I promise!''
8/10
