johnlink ranks YES MAN (2008)
Anybody who has followed my movie rankings (all 0.5 of you) know I love Jim Carrey. Lately his comedies have been mediocre, and even his dramas have had some misses. But I still think he’s one of the most talented comedians out there, and was happy to finally get a chance to watch YES MAN at movie night.
YES MAN is the story of a divorcee (Jim Carrey) who is avoiding life until he discovers a seminar which convinces him he must say YES to everything.
I watched YES MAN (2008) on 6.25.09 at movie night. It was my first viewing of the film.
NOTE: THIS RANKING UTILIZES THIS SITE’S ORIGINAL SYSTEMIC ARTICLE WRITING METHOD. THE METHOD BY WHICH THE RANKINGS WERE ARRIVED AT, HOWEVER, REMAINS THE SAME.
FILM
The themes here are nice. The idea of challenging life aggressively is a good one. The power of positivity certainly can’t hurt! But the problem with this movie has to do with the limits of fiction. Or, at least, the limits of this particular fiction. The movie creates scenarios that have clean resolutions, when there are certain things that should be asked (and probably would be over the course of a month or so) which would lead to an inevitable ‘no’.
I don’t want to be too hard on this film though. Most comedies today are mean spirited and indulge the unchecked ego of its audience. This movie at least makes an attempt to suggest that we can achieve our goals through positivity. The score here is average because the thematic pluses and minuses average out, and there is nothing in the mise-en-scen or cinematography to up it at all. SCORE: 5
MOVIE
The funniest Jim Carrey movie since LIAR, LIAR. I am a fan of BRUCE ALMIGHTY, but this is funnier. The supporting characters are better and more fleshed out, and there are several hilarious moments. SCORE: 8.
ACTING
Jim Carrey does his thing well. If you like Jim Carrey comedy, you’ll be a fan of this movie. Bradley Cooper (HANGOVER) is a solid sidekick. Zooey Deschanel (who I was mostly unfamiliar with) is a perfect foil for Carrey. Rhys Darby (FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS) provides adaquete comedic diversity. All in all, a good, but not great, acting job for your standard comedy. SCORE: 5
WRITING
The script could have done much more with its subject. I can’t imagine what a company like Pixar would have done with the elements of the story to make it more fulfilling. It feels like a lot of the funny stuff has to do with Carrey’s delivery rather than a stellar script. SCORE: 4
FINAL TALLY
FILM: 5; MOVIE: 8; ACTING: 5; WRITING: 4
5+8+5+4+0=22
FINAL TALLY: 5.5
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