Review of The Majestic (2001) by Rebecca H — 03 Nov 2008

The first and main problem with The Majestic is that it starts with Peter Appleton, Hollywood screenwriter (Jim Carrey). It doesn't start twenty minutes later when an amnesiac wakes up on a beach and is told by the small town that he is missing war hero Luke Trimble. If it did, the film might be passingly enjoyable. Instead, it is irritating as we sit there knowing 100% that this isn't Luke, it's Peter, and at some point this tedious plot must come to an end.

It's an uncomfortable experience, watching two plots, one where people think Peter is Luke but we know he's not, and one where people think Peter is a communist, but we know he's not, waiting for these two disparate strands to collide and us having to sit through it all.

And then comes the belief-stretching. Would they really just tell an amnesiac that he is Luke, with no evidence? Would they let him go home with his 'father'? Would they introduce him publicly to everyone? Peter spends the entire film apologising for not remembering anyone, and then apologising for not being Luke, and no one ever tells him it isn't his fault. I don't know much about the communist witch hunts, but the one in this film is far-reaching and over the top, which only adds to how unbelievably easily Peter gets out of it.

Despite an entire town, there are no characters. Peter never bonds with anyone, and they remain underdeveloped, as they all just smile and think of him as the Luke of nine and a half years ago, and they are all unbearably bland, especially Laurie Holden's romantic interest, Adele.

This film leaves a bitter taste. At first because the memory of Luke is simply trampled on, because now they don't have to mourn him, but who really cares about dull Mr Perfect Luke? Once people find out who Peter is, he's told that Luke was better than him, and he comes to believe this, despite Peter being a much more interesting character.

Despite being nearly two and a half hours long, this doesn't develop anything and has no depth. It confuses its own morals, and remains unsatisfying. Frankly, it's patronising and irritating and could have been a lot more intelligent.