Yes Man (Warner Brothers)
Feels Like a Redo But Carrey Is Still One Funny Man
Watching Jim Carrey in Yes Man you get the feeling it is dj vu all over again. There is a feel about the movie that is so Liar, Liar. Still Jim Carrey is one of the funniest men alive and in a warm, funny film like Yes Man he wins the audience over just in the nick of time.
Carrey plays Carl Allen, a divorced man in a dead end job. He is so bored with his life and the world around him that he says no to everything. He doesnt date; he doesnt go out with his friends; he doesnt aspire for a promotion in his job as a loan officer. He is a no man from beginning to end.
One day he meets his old friend Nick (John Michael Higgins) who talks him into attending a self help seminar of sorts. This Say Yes seminar is led by one Terrence Bundley (Terence Stamp). He makes a covenant with Carl that he has to say yes to everything in order to have good fortune. Carl agrees and starts saying yes right away. And sure enough his life changes for the better.
Saying yes to everything (Yes Man) and telling the truth in all things (Liar, Liar) are two sides of the same coin. At first this close connection is annoying, still slowly but surely the Carrey humor wears us down. Who can resist him when he is matched with Zooey Deshanel who plays his love interest Allison. Deshanel is such a gifted actress that she can hold her own with Carrey in any scene, and that is not an easy task.
Stamp is also very good as the guru of saying yes. He is only in a couple of scenes but he makes them work. Rhys Darby also has some good moments as Carls quirky boss. He is a bit bizarre but somehow he and his role fit into the film nicely.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and nudity.
Jim Carrey pulls out all the stops in Yes Man and if it were fresher material he would have a major hit on his hands. As is, the film seems to have gathered all the old Carrey movies together and squashed them into this one. It is still funny but it isnt a new kind of funny.
If you are a die hard Carrey fan you will love this movie as it is more of the same. But if you are looking for something a little bit fresh then this movie almost disappoints. Carrey pulls it out in the end but it is not a sure thing he is going to be able to.
I scored Yes Man an agreeable 6 out of 10.
