I Love You Phillip Morris

          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. 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

          There are multiple reasons why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is currently my favorite movie, but the main one is because of my emotional connection with Joel Barish. In the beginning of the film, Joel is depressed and fails to admire the beauty of the world by saying, “Sand is overrated. Its just tiny little rocks.” When he says this, Joel adds to his depression by taking uncontrollable circumstances and observations and turns them into complaints. Despite his sadness, he is a nervous and tentative child at heart, longing to be comforted.

          Not only is this my favorite movie, but it is the best film of Jim Carrey’s career. In a large majority of his movies, he plays a goofy, hysterical role. A few of his dramatic performances include The Truman Show, The Number 23, and I Love You Phillip Morris.   

          Other than the emotional connection, the cinematography, special effects, and post processing are absolutely phenomenal. Throughout the film, the color correction changes the mood. The beach scenes have a light blue tint to invoke the feeling of sadness while memories of his childhood are tinted yellow for happiness. This is subtile, but important for the overall mood of the film. In spite of these corrections, Clementine’s character boldly stands out. Her hair and clothing choices reflect her bold personality and show the dominance of her character.

          I love re-watching this movie because I catch new things every time I see it which makes the experiences more real. 

          Throughout the memory sequences, a spotlight effect is given in order to give a retro feeling of memories. This makes it easier to keep track of the non-linear timeline.  Also, many of the memory sequences are blurred and jumbled in order to seem like realistic memories. In one scene specifically, Clementine’s words don’t match up with her lips.  I feel like many memories can feel this way especially after a long period of time, a lot like dreams.

          Because the memories go in reverse order, the happiest parts are in the end. This not only makes for a climatic film, but for a “happy ending” as well. 

          I would compare the relationship between Joel and Clementine to Tom and Summer in (500) Days of Summer. These sets of characters are written to have highly realistic relationships and draw emotions out of the viewers. It is for this reason that these movies have done incredibly well.

          I probably think about Eternal Sunshine once a week. Usually its about the topic of erasing people or events from your memory. But if I have learned anything from this movie, it is to be happy in the moment.