Man On The Moon [1999]
Director : Milos Forman
Cast : Jim Carrey, Danny Devito, Courtney Love, Paul Giamatti
Man on the Moon is a biographical depiction of the life of Andy Kauffman - An entertainer and stage/sitcom artist who took objection to people calling him a 'comedian'. He introduced himself as a 'song and dance man'. A truly multi-faceted performer who was loved and hated at the same time by people in his prime, he also was an inter-gender wrestling champion. Famous for his on stage set-ups, pranks and creation of fictitious characters, he evolved from a club performer to a man watched by 40 million people worldwide. This movie tries to shed some light on the personal ups and downs of Kauffman and the effects of his public life on his shaping up as a human. Even a premature death due to lung cancer did not mellow down the aura this man had. Man on the Moon looks at Kauffman's life as a chapter - Starting from childhood, to his prime days and ends with a question lingering in the minds of the viewer.
On the acting front, Jim Carrey lives the character of Kauffman. People will agree with me that no other actor could have given this movie and character the justice that Carrey gave.
Danny Devito in his supporting act is great. There are innumerable characters in the movie (Some people playing themselves such as David Letterman, Jerry Lawler etc), But the power of Carrey's performance is such that we only remember him throughout and after the movie.
Why not an Oscar Nomination for Carrey I ask? The movie has it's happy and sad moments which will leave a smile on the face or a tear in the eye of the viewer. I personally had goosebumps while watching some scenes namely :
1) The Christmas Act of Kauffman and appearance of Santa Claus .
2) The Philliphines Miracle healing hoax and the reaction of Carrey.
3) The Final Scene which I will not mention here.
Overall, surely one of the best biographical movies I have seen ever. Highly Recommended.
Rating : 8/10
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