— by CAM SMITH —
As I made clear previously, in my Top 5 Most Intriguing Films of 2010 List (You haven’t read it?! Well, then skedaddle over to that link and check it out, as there’s some uber cool upcoming releases to keep track of!), Jim Carrey’s upcoming indie “I Love You Phillip Morris” has the all the makings of a critical darling and, if all goes well, a modest box-office hit.
With the rubber-faced talent playing a recently out-and-proud Southern gay con-man who falls madly in love with Ewan McGregor’s Phillip character while in prison, the film balances precariously on a fine line between being a sharp comedy and a genuinely emotional love story.
A mighty risky and difficult proposition, no doubt about it, and we’ll have to wait until March 26 (or longer, depending on your location) to find out whether directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa can pull it off.
In the meantime, thanks to our friends at Trailer Addict, we have a handful of sneak peeks to help weigh our expectations (I’m leaning considerably more towards the positive). These five clips, in my oh-so humble opinion, do an impeccable job of selling both the humorous nature of the film — especially during the clip featuring Carrey’s character’s botched hospital escape — and its heartfelt sincerity (that segment of Ewan McGregor chasing after Carrey, set to the tune “To Love Somebody,” had me a tad verklempt).
On a somewhat childish level, I really also can’t wait to witness the uncomfortable shock and revulsion that will almost certainly register across the faces of some of the film’s less, um, open-minded patrons who were expecting another “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” …
Anyways, silliness aside, this is a solid-looking film that’s going to need serious support to do any business, so watch the clips for yourself and see where you stand.
Follow Cam Smith on Twitter at http://twitter.com/camspcepisodes.
I can’t see it finding a big audience, but I really like both actors, so I will check it out.