Review of Man on the Moon (1999) by Pam G — 31 Mar 2012

You don't know the real me.

Who here knows who Andy Kaufman was?.. .How many people here know who Milos Forman is?... Well Andy Kaufman was one of the most... Well, the most original comedian of all time. And Milos Forman is the man who directed this biopic of Andy Kaufmans intriguing and amazing life.

The Story: A great biography of Andy Kaufmans life. For those unfamiliar with him, Andy Kaufman was a comedian/performer. He made a career out of making fools out of people and playing elaborate practical jokes. At times his humour wasn't all that conventional. In fact it was usually very unconventional. He would go on stage and pretend to be a nervous foreigner, only to wrap up the show with an amazing Elvis Presley impersonation. He would disguise himself as his nasty alter ego Tony Clifton, and refuse to break character no matter what. But it was a struggle with cancer and a world that grew tired of his humor that makes his story so powerful. What do you do when no one cares anymore?

The Cast: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Courtney Love, Paul Giamatti... All AMAZING! Jim Carreys best role to date. He brings Andy Kaufman to life. No one could have even come close to doing as good as Carrey in this film. He plays the seriousness flawlessly, and he plays the humour flawlessly... He just plays the part flawlessly. Very impressive stuff here. Danny DeVito plays his agent and one of his best friends. He plays it great, you'll laugh with him, you'll cry with with him, and you'll feel his infinite frustration as he learns to put up with Kaufman. Courtney Love, love her or hate her as a person (no pun intended), you'll be impressed with her performance as Andy's girlfriend. As with DeVito, you'll laugh and you'll cry, and you'll feel the frustration of loving the brilliantly insane man, known as Andy Kaufman. And last but definately not least Paul Giamatti, plays the part of Andy's best friend and partner in crime. He's usually the one that goes with all of Andy's practical jokes, he even takes on the role of Tony Clifton from time to time. Playing the part as great as the rest of the cast and sometimes even better, he stands out as a character unto himself. You don't see him too frustrated with Kaufman as you do with the rest of the characters, but you'll definately be feeling his excitement. The story is only surpassed by the great acting. Impressive performances all around.

One to Five Scale: 5.

This is one of my all time favorite movies. It's comedy at it's best, and drama at it's best. Be prepared to laugh, and be prepared to cry, it's powerful in every sense of the term. One of the few films that gets my highest reccomendations. If you haven't seen it, go out and rent it or buy it right now! What are you waiting for GO!!!

Tyler.