Review of I Love You Phillip Morris (2010) by Emily A — 05 Jun 2011

What a damn confusing title for a romantic comedy: I thought it was going to be some sort of ironic love letter to the tobacco manufacturer. This movie really stayed with me. I was really impressed by the performances, as well as the very premise of this.

I wish it hadn't gotten stuck in distribution hell for so long. What, it can't be a Blockbuster comedy just because its protagonist sucks dick? Jim Carrey stars as a gay man with expensive tastes, a dazzling aptitude for white-collar crime and no sense of responsibility.

He seems oblivious to the fact that his various wheelings and dealings are hurting the one he loves most, a sweet sugar baby played by Ewan McGregor. Steve, being gay is not expensive. Being gay the way you think people are supposed to be gay is expensive.

And you're an idiot to think you need the flamboyant lifestyle to be happy if you've got Phillip. Anyway, this movie has a bunch of different stories going on, but it balances all the stories perfectly.

The romance really resonates, the capers and jailbreaks are thrilling and the comedic moments are genuinely hilarious. I think the critics are absolutely right to call this one of the best performances of Jim Carrey's career.