The Majestic

[spudracer]

Although this is a little late, what are your thoughts towards the new Frank Darabont film "The Majestic?"

Personally, Carrey might be able to make a believable dramatic performance this time. His last, Man on the Moon, wasn't terribly bad, but wasn't teriffic either.

The Majestic opens Friday.

[Yoda]

I've moved this to the Movie Reviews forum, because it's opening REALLY soon, and a fair amount of people have caught press screenings and sneak peeks anyway, I'd imagine. Hope you don't mind. :)

[spudracer]

Nope...thanks.. :)

[Sunfrogolin]

What is this movie about? The previews don't say, it's like, look it's Jim Carey come see this movie he has amnesia! And that's about it. :p

[Yoda]

I'll have to 100% completely disagree with you there. :) If anything, the preview tells us far too much. I think I've already got a basic idea for how the whole thing will play out...which is not good! :D

[Steve]

Originally posted by spudracer


Personally, Carrey might be able to make a believable dramatic performance this time. His last, Man on the Moon, wasn't terribly bad, but wasn't teriffic either.



Did you just not see The Truman Show, or something? :confused:

I agree with T. I know exactl what's going to happen in this movie, & it's a real shame.

[spudracer]

I saw The Truman Show, and that was his first real dramatic role. Personally, he still had too much funny in him to make it THAT good. I did like it though.

I have an idea of what will happen in this movie, but with Darabont directing, you never know where it's going to lead. Does look good though.

[Sunfrogolin]

You guys know exactly what the movie is about?? You must have a secret source for previews. The one on tv just shows people walking up to him and he says hello, and they go, I'm you dad, I'm your mom, and he says gee. Then there's a building with lots of lights on it. Hmm.. I guess I could look around the web for some previews but I'm too lazy. :p

[Holden Pike]

If you've seen the theatrical trailer for The Majestic and not just the 30-second TV commercials, the entire plot is given away. All that isn't shown in the trailer is the outcome of his returning back to Hollywood to stand up to the H.U.A.C. hearing. Gee, I wonder how he's gonna do?
:rolleyes:

I'm not all that huge a fan of Frank Capra movies in the first place, but the prospect of seeing somebody do a pale version of one with Jim Carrey doesn't interest me in the slightest.

[Sunfrogolin]

Ahhh, that explains it. I've only seen the tv preview. I have a new program called the RealOne? And everytime I use it, it wants me to reregister. I've registered like 3 times and I still haven't seen any previews. :mad:

[spudracer]

That's when I would be contacting some Tech Support on that one Sunfrog.

[spudracer]

Just got back from watching The Majestic.

Very drawn out, but is a Darabont signature movie. Long, and emotional. Anybody else see this yet?

Good movie, I give it a B-

[mecurdius]

i liked it but i thought it was too long, and for some reason i was expecting something a lot weirder to happen.
did anyone catch bruce cambell in the movie? he was the star in sand pirates of the sahara.

Jim Carrey, go back to comedy, we miss you.

[thmilin]

i know, didn't carrey promise that he would always do comedy?

i saw the theatrical trailer for this and yeah, it was all given away, which is why I didn't go see it.

it's really bad when in the commercial they show a blurb of Jim as if in an interview (maybe it's a clip) saying how he wanted to make a simple "feel-good" movie for America. Maybe it's tied to the Sept 11th thing but obviously they began work on this way beforehand. He's already given us The Truman Show, Liar,Liar - he's done plenty of "feel-good" and doesn't need to make any more.

Not that they're bad movies but he ... or maybe the ones he picks ... fall a bit short. It's not like his acting sucks even, it's just that ... he is not a presence that makes you forget he is funny. Even when he cries, looks depressed, or forlorn. You never forget that, cuz even in the Truman Show, without even TRYING he was funny, funnier, I'm sure, than the light touch of humor they wanted to add to the darker story beneath.

There's a weird overall cheesiness when he goes into the mode of "feel-good" movie. Like that movie, i forget what it's called, the one where the kids are in black and white and then everything goes to color? that recent one?

i think, to some extent, people are craving the innocence and purity of Hollywood films from 1920-1960 but we cannot recapture that with most modern actors or screenwriting now. The writers, actors, and directors are, of the majority, not capable of it, I don't think. Only the extremely talented could write such a film and make us buy it.

I think the only place that we come close is with film noir. We saw what WoodyAllen did to the musical - his attempt and it was like so much smoke - didn't capture much of anything and was an entirely useless visual experience. The film world cannot capture things like that anymore. The best place to see a musical now is on stage. ANd the best place to see the magic of a 1920s-1960's movie is to go to the video store and get an oldie.

I guess I just feel Hollywood can't do it, and when I see things like The Majestic... I know a kid would buy it. But no one else would. I don't, really. But I don't say they give up. Just that it's gonna take some evolution or change to ever be able to capture that kind of thing and sell it so we enjoy it and want to see it.

[Yoda]

Are you referring to "Everyone Says I Love You"? If so, I must say that I really, really enjoyed that movie. A lot. Fabulous movie. Anyway, not sure of which black and white movie you're referring to. Was it a Jim Carrey movie? I'm stumped...and I ain't checking IMDB; that'd be cheating. :)

[spudracer]

I think you should at least check it out. It was long, in fact, I'm sure you would be used to that with any Darabont picture. His two previous works were much longer than a normal picture.

This one, however, was drawn out maybe 30 minutes over. No, you can't get everything from the previews, or the trailer, there's just no way. If you did, I want you to post what you think it's about.

Yes, I did catch Bruce Campbell as the actor in the B-Movie. Kind of ironic actually. :)

[Guy]

Everyone Says I Love You is a woody allen film with no jim carrey.. I think it's edward norton in that..

Anyway, Carrey is doing a ghost film next December.. A drama, not a comedy. He should pick comedy and dramatic roles, he excels in both.

[Yoda]

Guy: I know, I didn't mean that I thought it was a Jim Carrey movie. Miriam talked about a couple movies...I should've seperated my comments to indicate that. And yes, "Everyone Says I Love You" does indeed feature Edward Norton...and Julia Roberts, Alan Alda, Natalie Portman, Goldie Hawn, Woody Allen, Natasha Lyonne, Drew Barrymore, and a few other mid-level actors, if I remember correctly. Good movie. :)

[Holden Pike]

Spud, I didn't see the flippin' movie, but...

Carrey's character is a mid-level screenwriter who keeps sacrificing his vision to the will of the Studios. When he is called before the House Un-American Activities Committee to name names of his friends, he is told he will be blacklisted if he doesn't cooperate. He hits the road to hopefully clear his head, rather than face testifying and doing the wrong thing.

Driving up the coast, he takes that sharp turn off the bridge and crashes into the water. The old man (James Whitmore) finds him on the beach the next day. He has amnesia, of course. When he gets to the sleepy coastal town, he is taken for Luke, a local war hero who died in WWII (and son of Martin Landau). Some of the townspeople have their doubts of course (including Luke's old girlfriend), but he is embraced as a hero and brings life and hope back to the town. One of the ways this happens is the re-opening of the movie theater, The Majestic.

Everything is going well, but too well of course. After recognizing a movie playing at The Majestic, he finally realizes who he really is. In a 'heartbreaking' scene he tells who he has to tell about his identity and returns to Hollywood to face the H.U.A.C. But will he be the same spineless man he was, bending his will and morals to the wishes of others, or will his experience as the beloved Luke in the quaint town give him the courage to do the right thing and stand-up for what is right instead of what is easy? Hmmmmm, I wonder.

I'm sure I'm leaving out some details, like a jealous jerk in the town who keeps trying to expose "Luke" as an imposter, maybe a betrayal from a friend or girlfriend back in Hollywood, Federal Agents looking for him, perhaps a cute dog who doesn't seem to recognize him, etc. That stuff isn't in the trailer, but surely it's there.

That pretty well sum up this Capra-corn wannabe, Spudster?


And thimiln, I found those TV spots especially distasteful and insincere too, the ones with Carrey being interviewed about what a feel-good wonderful film The Majestic is ("I just wanted to put something good out into the world"). Puh-leeze. I've got an idea: rather than putting something with a supposedly good "spirit" out into the world, why not focus on a good script for a change?

[The Silver Bullet]

Didn't you enjoy "The Truman Show"? That had a good script.

Holden, it would be suprsing, but don't say you're one of those people who won't give Carrey a chance because of his earlier films. That would be close-minded.

....?

[mecurdius]

thats exactly what happened what did you do read the script?

I loved the truman show, that was good drama, but i didnt much like his performance in this movie.

[Holden Pike]

No, Mecurdius, I didn't read the script or see the movie, I just watched the trailer and TV spots. It's obvious as Hell what is going to happen every step along the way, which is why I didn't bother to see the thing.


I gave The Truman Show a chance, if for no other reason than director Peter Weir is one of my all-time favorites (Fearless, The Mosquito Coast, Witness, Gallipoli, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Cars that Ate Paris). And while Truman is easily the best, most mature thing Carrey has been involved with to date, I thought it was one of Wier's weakest efforts and extremely overrated. Carrey's performance was fine, but far from Oscar-worthy. I understand he didn't talk out of his @ss this time out, but that doesn't mean he automatically did an amazing job.

I thought Man on the Moon was a major waste of time, especially coming from Milos Forman, and glad it flopped. The rest of Carrey's projects have been intentionally ridiculous and juvinile, which is fine I guess and people seem to dig 'em, but they don't do anything for me personally.

[The Silver Bullet]

Holden didn't read the script -- those were his impressions from the trailer. Am I right?

[Holden Pike]

Right on, SB. Right on.

[mecurdius]

i thought the both the mask and liar liar were really funny movies, i saw the mask on tnt a few nights ago btw. AS for man on the moon, i liked him in it, but i didnt think the movie was great thought it was ok. And as for Ace ventura: Pet Detective, i thought they were really funny when i was like 8 but probably woudnt if i saw them today. DId jim carrey get an award or nom for the truman show or man on the moon. I cant remember.

[Holden Pike]

No, Jim Carrey has never received an Oscar nomination. This has led his fans to yell that he has been snubbed, but if you look at the other performances eligible in those given years, I don't think he's been robbed of anything.

At the slightly less prestigious Golden Globes, Carrey has been nominated for Best Actor in a Drama for The Truman Show, and he won the award. In the Globes' Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical category he has been nominated for The Mask, Liar, Liar, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Man on the Moon, winning for Man on the Moon (which more properly probably should have been in the drama category anyway).

[The Silver Bullet]

He auditioned as Andy Kauffman for the Grinch.

He won the role. Jim Carrey playing Andy Kauffman playing the Grinch got the role.

That's pretty funny.

[thmilin]

Yeah "Everyone Says I Love You" - I wasn't saying Carrey was in it, but that's an example of people trying to make "feel-good movies" and failing. Honestly, the film was entirely forgettable to me and the only good thing about it was Tim Roth who actually made me feel SOMETHING while watching it. I'm not saying it was a crappy movie. Just ... not worth going out to watch, let alone buy to put on my shelf. There are a lot of such movies - one-timers that most people could live without. No, you won't scream at the screen or roll your eyes when you watch it, but you won't remember or care to remember much about it. At the point in life where I had not seen it, I said, should I, or shouldn't I? In order to support the film musical and to see how the stars did, I saw it. But other than that, there is really no reason to see it - for me.

HOLDEN!! Your take from the trailers - EXACTLY!! I haven't seen it either and that's EXACTLY it! I didn't have the name of the supporting actors or their characters or anything. I think the trailer I saw I wasn' t paying attention for the first few seconds so I missed the screenwriter melodrama but other than that, yeah. And:

Also there seems a bit of tension as to the townspeople sort of feeling - especially the older folks - that the original hero might really be dead but they "need" a hero and sort of gently coax themselves and Carrey into believing in the lie in order to restore badly needed hope to the town. Loved that bit you added about the imposter-exposer, betraying girlfriend, and dog - tha is so true! goes to show ya how used up those Hollywood conventions are.

And yeah, that commercial was just bad. I didn't actually ever think Carrey would do something like that.

And it's not about me not wanting to give Carrey a chance - i actually loved Ace Ventura (1) to death, enjoyed The Mask, and enjoyed Liar,Liar. For "feel good" I feel Carrey's talents are not capable of "forgetting the funny" and so the best way for him to make such a movie is to do it as he did with The Mask. The Mask was outrageous, yes, but also - about the little guy with a big heart who's put upon, the everyman, who people identify with. There are other ways to explore this venue. As for dramatic - Truman Show was still off-funny cuz he just can't shake that part of him - unless he is outright crying the man is usually adding some dash of his natural humor because, I honestly think he's MADE of it and you can't remove a limb so you USE it.

More power to him for trying, at least, with a powerful story like Andy Kaufman's. I don't know, it just feels like he made fluff and in so doing, isn't helping anyone. There's no creativity The Majestic. There's nothing new. In his comedy, there's burning creativity and humor, there's genius and madness and freedom. In Man on the Moon, which I haven't even seen, I'd assume there's burning creativity and talent and genius, too. But at least it's not cheesy fluff.

[Yoda]

Well, sorry; I liked "Everyone Says I Love You," and I'm glad to have seen it. :) Holden: "wrong thing"? Aren't we talkin' about exposing some damn dirty commies? :D Or did I miss something?

Personally I think "Man on the Moon" warranted, at the very least, an Oscar nomination. He was dead-on. He was exactly the way Kauffman appears in all those specials on Comedy Central, at least. :) Everything from his normal, semi-worried voice, to his drum-beating routine, to his "angry voice" in the wrestling matches.

[Holden Pike]

I'm a huge Andy Kaufman fan and have been for years. I have many of his specials on tape or DVD. I've probably seen "My Breakfast with Blassie" alone over thirty times, including twice on the big screen. And speaking as a fan, I didn't think Carrey had him at all. He did the abrasive alter-ego Tony Clifton well enough, but that was as much about the make-up, and the point of the character became that co-conspirator Bob Zmuda could do him just as easily in real life, so it makes sense that Carrey could slip into the costume too.

I thought Carrey's performance was average, and that he never nailed Kaufman. Not even close.


In general I find biopics of media figures from the last half of the 20th century pointless. There is so much actual footage of the actual subjects around, why bother 'dramatizing' it all with actors who can't possibly live up to the countless times you've watched the real person? Michael Mann's Ali is the same problem for me.

[Yoda]

Honestly? I mean, I hear Kaufman in those specials, and I then I hear Carrey, and he sounds exactly like him. I suppose a case could be made for mannerisms and body language, and appearance, but in terms of voices, at least, I'd say he was borderline perfect. Was there anything particularly specific that you found off? I thought it was an amazing performance.

I see what you mean about recent biographies...but I don't think they're without use. I think some are, because they show us nothing new. A movie about Ali, though, that shows us his underbelly, and what his life was REALLY like, from various perspectives, would have lots of value, IMO. I haven't seen the movie yet, but from what I hear, it fails to do this. "Man on the Moon" showed me a bit more about Kaufman than I'd seen before...but not a whole lot. I wasn't nuts about the movie as a result...Carrey's performance was the reason for seeing it, IMO. It just went through the same sorts of motions I saw in the Comedy Central specials, with just a few exceptions.

[Holden Pike]

No, Carrey certainly didn't look much like Kaufman, he didn't have his mannerisms down, and personally I don't think he got his voice either. I suppose the Latka-type voice, which he did WAY too often as if the guy walked around like that all day, was acceptible from an impressionist/Rich Little point-of-view (though not dead-on either - Carrey does a much better Jimmy Stewart in his oldest stand-up). But what he never came even close to was Andy's "normal" voice. Not in one scene did I find it even resembled Kaufman, much less perfectly echoed. Not to my ear anyway.

Like I said, an average performance to me. It would have been fine in a "SNL" or "In Living Color" quickie sketch, but was dead and way off on the big screen.

To me anyway. You're mileage may vary, of course.

[Steve]

Originally posted by Holden Pike
In general I find biopics of media figures from the last half of the 20th century pointless. There is so much actual footage of the actual subjects around, why bother 'dramatizing' it all with actors who can't possibly live up to the countless times you've watched the real person? Michael Mann's Ali is the same problem for me.

Isn't the entire point of a biopic to give insight into the part of a famous person's life that we don't see on television? Ali disappointed me too, but it wasn't because I think a biopic of Muhammad Ali is pointless. It disappointed me because it didn't show me anything new, or shed any light on the Muhammad Ali persona everyone knows from TV.

What are your thoughts on Spike Lee's Malcolm X? (IMO, it's one of the best biopics ever made)

Jim Carrey didn't play Andy Kaufman. He impersonated him. There's a difference. I think he was short-changed on a nomination for the Truman Show, though - that was a great performance.

I'm going to see The Majestic tonight, for the hell of it. I know the gist of what's going to happen, but that won't have any effect on how good I think it is - it just softens the blow, so to speak. Which I hate. But I digress, I'm seeing it anyway.

[Gideon58]

This movie was a crashing bore, I don't know what Carrey was thinking.