The Truman Show

THE TRUMAN SHOW (PG)

D: Peter Weir

Paramount (Scott Rudin, Andrew Niccol, Edward S. Feldman & Adam Schroeder)

US 1998

102 mins

Drama/Comedy

W: Andrew Niccol

DP: Peter Biziou

Ed: William Anderson

Mus: Philip Glass & Burkhard Dallwitz

PD: Dennis Gassner

Jim Carrey (Truman Burbank), Noah Emmerich (Marlon), Laura Linney (Meryl), Natascha McElhone (Lauren/Sylvia), Holland Taylor (Mrs. Burbank), Ed Harris (Christof)

A satire on TV and media which seemed to be prophetic in the dawn of reality shows.

Jim Carrey is unwittingly the star of his own show, a 24-hour soap opera which has revolved around his life since his moment of birth, with events controlled by a producer with a God-complex who lives in the studio's moon. Truman begins to question events that surround him and wishes to leave his manipulated world, but the megalomaniac creator makes it increasingly difficult to do so.

Andrew Niccol's screenplay is a work of genius, packed with metaphorical moments and hugely intelligent references to life, the universe and everything. Jim Carrey ditches his rubberface/slapstick act for his performance as an everyman, but it's unfortunate that he's upstaged by Laura Linney as his kooky on-screen wife, Ed Harris as his creator and the world within a world, a breathtaking studio set so vast that it can be seen from orbit.

For me, it's a movie which gets better with each and every viewing, though it will probably be a disappointment for those expecting Carrey's usual schtick.

8/10