Great Film: Liar Liar
Jim Carrey is back in yet another great comedy, although it doesn't quite live up to the spectacular Dumb & Dumber.
Liar Liar is about a boy who, after being stood up by his big-shot lawyer
father one too many times, wishes that for just one day his dad couldn't
lie. This wreaks havoc on his personal life and even more on his
professional life as a lawyer who makes a living putting criminals back on
the streets.
Carrey is immediately and constantly hilarious in his role as the
unwillfully honest Fletcher Reede. Every scene is full of awkwardly
straightforward behavior and dialogue ("Whatever takes the focus off your
head!) that is funny because it is so unusual and unexpected. Maura Tierney
delivers one of the best performances of her career (second only to her
wonderful job in Primal Fear), but Cary Elwes plays a disappointing turn
from his amazing job in The Princess Bride. Seeing him as the endlessly
charming Wesley in that film and then seeing him as a squirrely step-father
type in Liar Liar just didn't seem to fit, but the film was able to overcome
such small problems and present itself as a good and entertaining comedy.
In addition to the good comedy that Liar Liar presented, there were strange
comedic scenes that Carrey had never done before. For example, I have never
seen him portray a descent into madness as was shown with the blue pen, and
it should be noted how well this funny man played the part of a man trying
very hard not to be funny, with hilarious results. This is a bit like his
role in Man on the Moon where he was a comedian playing a comedian who was
often deliberately not funny, and the results there were hilarious as well.
Jim Carrey's great comedy acting skills were a crucial element of this film,
but they are not the only redeeming value of the movie itself. The story is
solid and legitimate as well, and it is well-presented and directed,
resulting in a good, fun comedy.
Cast
- Fletcher Reede played by Jim Carrey
- Dana Appleton played by Swoosie Kurtz
- Jerry played by Cary Elwes
- Richard Cole played by Eric Pierpoint
- Samantha Cole played by Jennifer Tilly
- Audrey Reede played by Maura Tierney
- Mr. Allan (as Mitchell Ryan) played by Mitch Ryan
