MPAA Rating: PG/Genre: Psychological Comedy-Drama/Stars: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Ed Harris, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor, Brian Delate, Paul Giamatti, Una Damon, Peter Krause, Harry Shearer, Philip Baker Hall, Joel McKinnon Miller, David Andrew Nash/Runtime: 103 minutes
I think it’s a fairly safe claim to make dear reader that if you were to flip on your TV and scan through the channels that you have, it should not surprise you to see at least one member of that distinct television community known as reality shows pop up at some point throughout the day. Not just because some of them are very much guilty pleasure entertainment at its finest, but because we as a society seem to have a fondness (or addiction dependent entirely on one’s perspective) for this kind of entertainment. Of course, is it any wonder why? I mean yes these are shows (with particular regard to ones like Cops and Cheaters) which make it easy for us as the viewer to relate to the people involved and what they are going through since it could just as easily happen to us. On the other hand however, there is also no denying that the raw and honest emotions conveyed by the participants can prove to be quite riveting for the viewer to watch live to say nothing of the fact that it both does produce an insanely creepy (yet totally legal) way for some people to choose to play voyeur as well as, and from a corporate perspective, make network executives quite a bit money since, due to being cheaper than a lot of “scripted shows”, these shows can in turn potentially become quite profitable for the studio that decides to distribute them (probably why MTV has done so many since the 90s). Yet what would happen if the subject of one of these massively successful reality shows was virtually unaware that their life was, in fact, a work of fiction in absolutely every respect? Not so much in terms of their life for they would be a living human being much like you or I, but rather more in terms of the relationships he had, in the life he was currently leading, the life he led as a child/teenager, and in just about every single potentially meaningful chapter in his life from the moment he was born up until he was about 30 years old? More than that however, how exactly would this person react if things started to occur in the world around them which began to reveal this hard-hitting truth to them? Thankfully, in the long-ago year of 1998, the land of movie magic decided to give us a possible answer to those questions with a slice of cinema, and one I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, known as The Truman Show. A film that, in addition to showcasing the extraordinary range of its lead actor, also manages to be quite an engaging sit all the same. No it’s not flawless in any way, but with the aid of on-point work on both sides of the camera, The Truman Show “98” is one slice of cinema I promise that will you leave both entertained and with something significant to ponder long after the end credits have begun to roll.
The plot is as follows: Taking us as an audience to the picturesque, to say nothing of fairly Norman Rockwellian, and tranquil community of Seahaven Island, The Truman Show gets underway by introducing us to a young man by the name of (big surprise) Truman Burbank. A young man who, upon first glance, would seem to have what you or I might strongly consider to be the perfect life. Indeed not only does he have a fairly solid job as an insurance salesman, but he also lives in a nice house, has a pretty good relationship with his loving and supportive wife Meryl, and even has a terrific best friend named Marlon who knows just what to say (or when to bring over a six pack of brewskis) in any given situation. Thus, aside from a fear of the water due to a tragic childhood boating accident which ended in his father drowning and pangs of heartache for a woman named Sylvia from his college days who was mysteriously whisked away one night, I think it can definitely be said that dear Mr. Truman here has life pretty dang good all things considered. Or at least that would be the case if I had been entirely truthful with you about the circumstances surrounding Truman’s life. You see dear reader there’s perhaps one other detail that I guess you should know at this point in time. That being that the majority of what I just wrote for you, in true Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction style, was a total fabrication. In all fairness though, and before you come for me with your pitch forks, I would like it to be know that this is not because I lied to you however, but rather because everyone the world around Truman has been lying to him. A lie that takes the shape and form of the fact that Truman is actually the unknowing star of a reality television program created by a highly enigmatic individual named Christof known as The Truman Show (hence the film’s title) which is filmed and aired 24/7/365 (or 366 on leap years) across the planet. As a result, not only is that seemingly tranquil home I described for you above just a giant soundstage, but even the people in this world (apart from Truman himself) are just paid actors rather than who I claimed that they were. Yet despite the fact that Christof and his team have been up until this point able to successfully keep Truman unaware of this horrible truth, we soon see that it isn’t long before a series of incidents start to occur which begin to chip away at the illusion and slowly reveal to Truman that all might not be as he has thought it to be his whole life. As for what this ultimately inspires Truman to do to say nothing of the impact that it has on him, the people in his world, and the people in the real world however that I think is best for you to uncover on your own…..
Now right off the ol’ television set, it should be said that, in terms of the work done by the distinct groups operating behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing, this is an incredibly solid little movie. Without any question, this starts with the Oscar-nominated work done from the director’s chair by the undeniably talented Peter Weir (Dead Poet’s Society from 1989, Witness from 1985, and The Mosquito Coast from 1986 among others) and this is without a doubt another winning entry on the man’s distinct resume. Indeed not only does Weir do a fantastic job of making this film’s narrative, despite the seemingly outlandish (at the time anyway) concept at the heart of it, one that is able to be both relatable and impactful in equal measure to the movie goer, but he also proves to be extremely skilled at ensuring that the cast of characters in the story are equally as three-dimensional as well. As a result, not only does this terrific devotion to the characters make them feel less like fictional creations and more like people you or I might encounter in the world around us every day, but it also helps to distinguish them rather than just have them play out the way they might typically in a lesser (albeit similar) slice of cinema to this one. Alongside the terrific work done by Peter Weir at the helm, this slice of cinema also manages to incorporate a terrific (and also Oscar-nominated) screenplay as penned by Andrew Niccol (2005’s Lord of War, 2011’s In Time, and another movie I’ll be talking about very soon). Indeed Niccol not only provides this film with a concept that, looking back, was definitely innovative for its time, but he also does a wonderful job of providing it with welcome degrees of heart, humanity, and humor especially in regard to both the nature of this type of TV and of some of the people who might watch it as well. Alongside the undeniably skilled work done by Weir and Niccol respectively, this slice of cinema also manages to contain a truly remarkable job done by Peter Biziou (1988’s Mississippi Burning and Richard III from 1995) in the cinematography department. Indeed not only does Biziou do a fantastic job of conjuring up a distinct visual style that really permits the audience to become a part of Truman’s world, but in terms of that world he also succeeds in making it both look and feel alluring and yet also unnerving to a degree that really helps to convey the fake humanity and genuine artificiality at the heart of it. Last, but by no means least I am most assuredly convinced that this section would not be complete if I didn’t devote some time within it to talk about the truly beautiful work done by Burkhard Dallwitz, Philip Glass (who I have loved as a composer since hearing his work on Candyman from 1992), and Wojciech Kilar (Bram Stoker’s Dracula from 1992, 2002’s The Pianist, 2007’s We Own the Night) on this film’s musical accompaniment. Indeed not only does the vibrant and poignant score do a wonderful job of reinforcing the pathos, humor, and atmosphere prevalent throughout the film, but it also proves to be quite skilled at synching up with the insightful thematic concepts of reality vs. illusion and self-discovery that the film is operating with as well. Suffice it to say that when you also take into account absolutely remarkable work from the editing and set design departments respectively it’s clear beyond a doubt that everyone involved in the making of this film from a behind the camera perspective are all operating at or near the pinnacle of their respective creative abilities and, as a result, are able to do their part in making this as insightful and engaging as it ultimately turns out to be.
Besides the truly engaging work done by the various teams working behind the camera on this particular slice of cinema, it most assuredly does not hurt this film in the least that this work is reinforced remarkably well by an impeccably selected cast of talent who all, no matter how much or how little screentime they are given during the course of the film’s 102-minute runtime, manage to shine in their respective roles. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the always delightful Jim Carrey (Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, The Cable Guy) in the titular role and this is easily one of the 5 best performances of the man’s career. Indeed as Truman, we see that Carrey not only does a remarkable job of merging together comedy alongside heartfelt pathos, but he also succeeds in giving us a character who starts out as a very much affable, genuinely decent, and more than slightly oblivious individual that is content with his life just the way it is. As the film goes along however and more weird things begin to start happening to him, we see that Carrey is able to shift from that persona and give us someone who, while still affable and genuinely good of heart, is very much driven and determined. Not just to get to the bottom of things, but to also take control of his life for himself. Indeed it is one heck of a performance and how in the world it didn’t even get nominated let alone win an Oscar for Best Actor is still one mystery that I must confess I have yet to solve. Alongside the undeniably impressive work done here by Carrey, this slice of cinema also features one heck of a turn from Laura Linney (2003’s Mystic River, Primal Fear from 1996, and 1997’s Absolute Power) in the role of Truman’s “wife” Meryl. Indeed this is a very tricky role to play because for the role to work you need someone who can not only effectively convey a degree of highly artificiality in terms of her more than slightly upbeat interactions with the titular character to say nothing of be 110% willingly complicit in the deception that is being engaged in against him, but who also is being controlled to an extent herself via the show and what it asks of her. Thankfully, we see that Linney is more than up to the task and as a result gives a truly multilayered performance that is absolutely well done and then some. Last, but by no means least this section most certainly would not be complete if I didn’t talk about the work done by screen icon Ed Harris in the pivotal role of Christof. Indeed Harris does a masterfully chilling job of giving us an antagonist that, although certainly charming in a perverse way and wanting people to believe that he is acting in the main character’s best interests, is also someone who not only has no empathy in regard to Truman or giving him a chance to live his life on his own terms, but is willing to do just about anything to keep him under his thumb. Suffice it to say that when you also take into account equally as well-done work from such talented individuals as Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone (1998’s Ronin), Holland Taylor (Bill and Ted Face the Music), Paul Giamatti (who you could argue is playing a younger version of his character Marty Wolf from 2002’s Big Fat Liar here), late yet undeniably talented character actor Phillip Baker Hall (1997’s Air Force One, Boogie Nights, and The Talented Mr. Ripley), and even Harry Shearer (The Simpsons and This is Spinal Tap) to name but a few it’s clear this film might have some miniscule issues, but the work done by the cast is most definitely not one of them.
All in all and at the end of the day is The Truman Show “98” a perfect say-all, end-all slice of cinema in every way imaginable? Sadly I am afraid that is most assuredly not the case though by no means is that due to lack of effort on the part of anyone amongst the cast or crew respectively. With that in mind however, is this the worst cinematic effort that any of the individuals involved in bringing this to life have ever been a part of in any capacity? Oh no. Most assuredly not. Not by a long shot. Trust me when I say that there are definitely some movies that come to mind which I feel definitely qualify for that title a heck of a lot more than this slice of cinema could ever begin to imagine. To be sure dear reader, this slice of cinema does have some distinct hurdles which do hold it back a wee bit including the fact that the tempo of the film can be a bit too slow for some movie goers to work with, there is a fair amount of suspension of disbelief that is needed in order for the story to really work, a number of the support cast aren’t given a lot to work with from a narrative perspective, and the fact that the balance between the satirical elements on display as well as the dramatic and quite pathos-driven odyssey of the titular protagonist arguably could have been better handled than what we ultimately get here among other things. With that being said however, there is also no denying that the work done at the helm is incredibly top-tier, the script is deftly and insightfully penned, the cinematography is truly dazzling, the score is a work of art, and the performances (with particular regard to the ones provided by Carrey, Linney, Harris, and Emmerich) by the undeniably talented cast all manage to deliver and then some despite the aforementioned inequal distribution of narrative material. Suffice it to say then that it might cause you to really question what you decide to watch on television, but even so dear reader there is no denying that The Truman Show is an extremely well-made and well-acted look at both the very real and prescient conflict present on television even now between what is real vs. what is illusion as well as one man’s quest to find a meaning in his life that is not definable by ratings, viewer numbers, or even what the cameras see, but rather by what is in his head and, arguably just as important, what is in his heart. Make of that what thou will dear reader and in case I don’t see you good afternoon, good evening, and good night! On a scale of 1-5 I give The Truman Show “98” a solid 4 out of 5.
*After having watched the trailer I have determined that it could prove to be potentially detrimental to your possible enjoyment of this film should you decide to watch it. I have therefore elected not to put it here where I normally would. Thanks again everyone and I’ll see you guys….at the movies! Ag*
