Review of Man on the Moon (1999) by David S — 27 Mar 2014

Man on the Moon is a massively messed up story. It features a character who's story is a series of repetitive antics that the viewer is unsure of if it is a hoax or a true event, and it isnt all that funny for the audience but rather it's funny the idea behind the topic and how long the characters can keep the antics up.

So all in all, I agree with Jim Carrey that this film is a drama at heart, and the bio of not a comedian, but a song and dance man who's own vision of comedic antics became about him rather than the audience, which turns him into such a complex character. The antics that followed and escalated right up until his death create a legacy for the madman/genius and the events of his antics and legacy are portrayed here in the story of the legend himself: Andy Kaufman.

Jim Carrey's ultimate portrayal of Andy Kaufman is stunning. For one thing, an actor attempting to convince audiences that he's a man who's attempting to convince audiences that so many shocks are real. It's complicated, and because Andy Kaufman is such an eccentric fellow who's traits are insane and chameleonic, the ideal person to play the role would be so difficult to find. Here, Jim Carrey's performance is so immaculate, so convincing, so unforgettable that he actually becomes the living embodiment of Andy Kaufman.

Andy Kaufman is a man I knew nothing of, whom I'd never heard of until this film, and the fact that he was actually so nuts and the fact that Jim Carrey commonly plays variations of that type of character make the role ideal for him.

The story develops his character really well, causing you to question your own morals, senses and beliefs. Only Jim Carrey is ever sure if what he's doing is or is not a hoax, the story never lets on what's inside Andy Kaufman's mind because he's so complex and id-driven that his way of life and idea of performance art is different to any that has existed before. But the important thing that the film stresses, is that Andy Kaufman was a song and Dance man, and if anyone would challenge that, he would not hesitate to come back at them, whether reading an entire novel or plotting a whole hoax with the intention of shocking. Andy Kaufman did what he wanted for himself, and his ambitions pushed so many limits and broke so many rules, that it is never really a swerved if he is a madman or genius.

However, Man on the Moon really makes you care about Kufman, to see him perform his feats and to see him stripped down to the weak man taking eastern medicine to survive. When he told George Shapiro of his cancer and we see Danny Devito weaken , I almost Teared up. When he lay on that table and transitioned into lying in a coffin, I almost Teared up again. Andy Kaufman always seized the day, and that's a thing you have to admire in him, and Jim Carrey was just perfect in portraying that. This is Jim Carrey's finest performance, as Andy Kaufman. As Tony Clifton. As Foreign Man. As Latka. As a man we will never know to have been a genius or a madman.

The acting from others was excellent, Notably Danny Devito. The fact that the man who acted alongside Andy Kaufman in Taxi for 5 seasons has a main role here is just perfect. He acted his part excellently as well.

They did the same thing with the many other cast members of Taxi which I feel is just perfect.

Paul Giamatti was also excellent in his part, and so convincing that I couldn't identify when it was or wasn't the real Tony Clifton.

The film also featured excellent cinematography and costumes. Man on the Moon was lavish and groovy and captured so many things so well.

The only negatives would be the repetition in the film, the unbalance between simplicity and complication in plot elements and the lack of humour in the tale of a man considered by many a comedian. Although it was a drama at heart, I guess I just hoped for a few more laughs rather than shocks. But all in all, this was a good biography of a twisted man, with creativity used like in The People vs. Larry Flynt by the talented Milo's Forman. Man on the Moon is worth seeing, if for nothing else, because of the flawless multiple roles by Jim Carrey and is bound to stick in your head for a long time.