One of the main reasons why I love the movie I Love You Phillip Morris is because of the storyline. I have always been drawn to films that deal with con men and thieves because of their performance and dedication to their “job”. Some of my favorites (along with I Love You Phillip Morris) are 21, Catch Me If You Can, Ocean’s Eleven, and The Town.
Along with Catch Me If You Can, I Love You Phillip Morris is actually a true story. Steven Jay Russell (Jim Carrey) was an honest man until a car accident forced him to reevaluate his life. It was at this point that he came out as a homosexual and becomes a con man to support his expensive gay lifestyle. Russell ends up in prison where he falls madly in love with a fellow inmate Phillip Morris. Their romance blossoms and the two are released from prison. However Steven falls back into his stealing routine and ends up back in prison. In order to be with Phillip, Steven breaks out of prison multiple times and always ends up back where he started.
In addition to the amazing story, the dialogue is absolutely hilarious. Every time I watch I Love You Phillip Morris, I catch new lines that I hadn’t noticed before that are hysterical. Luckily, a lot of the humor fits Jim Carrey’s style. Sadly, most of my favorite lines are not appropriate so I probably shouldn’t repeat them.
While the real Steven Jay Russell is a chubby, bald man, Jim Carrey played the character perfectly. Carrey and McGregor were consulted by Russell (who was still in prison) about personality traits and how to act. When watching the film later, Russell said, “They’ve got it down. The way they speak, the mannerisms, the clothes - everything. Its surreal.”
According to the MPAA, (Motion Picture Association of America) I Love You Phillip Morris is rated R for sexual content including strong dialogue, and language. Within the film, there are a few heterosexual and homosexual sex scenes, but there is no nudity shown. The only nudity is labeled as “non-sexual,” which occurs during a prison shower scene revealing the backsides of a few men.
I expected the language of I Love You Phillip Morris to be like many other prison/heist movies. Depending on how you define “swear words,” there were between 75 and 100 explicit words used in the film. About 50 of these were the f-word which is almost never appropriate.
Surprisingly, there was very little violence in the film, despite a large portion taking place in prison. There is only one remotely violent prison scene where a prisoner is beaten up by an inmate. This scene could easily be in a PG-13 movie because it is not graphic. Additionally, there is a car accident and a man accidentally falls off of a building. Both of these scenes imply some brutality but show none.
While the film is a bit inappropriate, it definitely has its positive elements. Due to the amazing writing, dialogue, and actors, we begin to love the characters and appreciate the love that they have for each other, despite the fact that they are homosexuals. Seeing a homosexual relationship in a positive light is a wonderful change from the hating, judgmental, people by whom I am usually surrounded.
Other than the homosexual nature of the film, the only content worthy of discretion is the language. Most of the explicit language is used comedically, but is not really justified in its use. That being said, the film would not be the same if the language was cut out. Imagine what The Hangover would be like if all the swearing was removed. The comedic atmosphere of the film would be nonexistent, thus making the film more of a drama.
I can think of many people who would not watch I Love You Phillip Morris because it is about homosexuals, but the film is more than that. It is about two people who meet in prison, fall in love, and do anything to stay together. Not only is this dramatic comedy incredibly entertaining, but it is also a true story. Anyone who has ever loved, lost, or connected with another person in any way should find this movie both entertaining and relatable.
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