Review of Man on the Moon (1999) by Samuel M — 08 Feb 2012
Tracing the rise and fall of a man whom many still consider of the great comedic geniuses of the 20th century, "Man on the Moon" is a biopic about the mercurial (and confounding) Andy Kaufman, who most people know as Latka Gravas from the hit 1970s show "Taxi".
I'll leave Wikipedia to fill you in on the events of his life - I'll concentrate on the merits of the film itself. As a dramatic character piece, "Man on the Moon" falls just short of working.
There are pacing problems abound and areas of its larger-than-life subject we wish were explored further. However, I'm still going to mildly recommend it on the strength of Jim Carrey's absolutely incredible performance as Kaufman.
This often-overlooked portrayal is the best of Carrey's career; not only does he bear a strong physical resemblance to Kaufman, but as Jaime Foxx did in "Ray", Carrey uses mimicry as a means of facilitating a surprisingly deep character study to the audience.
Based on his work as Andy, "Man on the Moon" is worth a peek.
This review of Man on the Moon (1999) was written by Samuel M on 08 Feb 2012.
Man on the Moon has generally received positive reviews.
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