Man on the Moon (1999)
With this and The Truman Show I really thought Jim Carrey would move his career in new directions, and while Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another high, I think he peaked here. This role could only be played by Jim Carrey with his unique combination of comedic madness and ability to communicate so much inner thoughts and emotions through facial expressions.
Through the story of Andy Kaufman the film dives into the nature of comedy and entertainment, and how Andy works with removing all expectations from the audience to puncture any sort of comedic timing and then deliver the unexpected.
Jim Carrey perfectly captures the fine line between nuts and genius. Danny DeVito is great as the poor manager having to deal with such an unique artist. Paul Giamatti is the perfect wingman and Tony Clifton, and I wish Courtney Love would have gotten more screen time.
I honestly don’t know much about the real Andy Kaufman, and I am sure there are several inaccuracies, but I think that is less important here. It is both one of the most funny and most heartbreaking movies I have watched, in addition to challenging common conception of comedy and entertainment.
Rating: 5