I Love You Phillip Morris

I Love You Phillip Morris

I wasn't too sure what to expect from this movie at first, but after watching it I absolutely loved it.

The film stars;

Jim Carrey as Steven Russell

Ewan McGregor as Phillip Morris

The film is based on a true story, and a book by Steve McVicker called I Love You Phillip Morris: A True Life Story of Life, Love and Prison Breaks, which focuses on the life of con-artist Steven Jay Russell, played by Carrey. 

Jim Carrey gives a truly amazing performance in this film. It starts with Steven lying in a hospital bed talking about love and how "love's the reason I'm laying here dying."
Then the film goes to Stevens, childhood and how he is adopted then quickly moves on to his adult life, with Steven narrating. As an adult Steven is a married 'Christian' man with a wife and daughter, and shows him trying to find his real mother. Then, out of the blue, shows a scene of Steven having sex with a man, with him narrating "Oh, did I forget to mention I'm gay?".

There is a lot of humour in this film, particularly when Steven is a child, laying with his friends in some grass guessing what shapes the clouds look like, and Steven thinks one looks like a mans weiner.

Then, Steven has a car crash which makes him want to start his life over, being the real him with no lies - including being open about the fact he is gay.

Steven starts to go crazy spending money, well by using credit cards, and says "being gay is really expensive". So he becomes a con-man; insurance fraud, credit card fraud, passport fraud, anything to get money.

This is a really funny film, but it is different to the usual funny that Jim Carrey does, e.g. he doesn't do a lot of silly voice or pull stupid faces. This is a serious sort of funny.

It is during Stevens first time in prison when he notices Phillip, and he even lies to him about who he is - telling him that he's an attorney. 

There is an immediate chemistry between them both from the moment they meet, even though Phillip is moving to another unit in the prison that same day.
Even with the pair separated, they write to each other almost everyday.
Then the pair are reunited when Steven manages to get a transfer to Phillips' cell.
The love soon blossoms between the two, then Steven is transferred to another prison as punishment for paying an inmate to beat up another inmate.
Three months later Steven is released from prison and pretends to be a lawyer to get Phillip released early.
The two begin to make a life for each other, with Steven still pretending to be a lawyer, and still by credit card fraud - which Phillip has no idea about. But then Steven decides to stop scamming and create a REAL life for him and Phillip. However, that doesn't last very long.

A great quote from this film, is when Steven is going to play golf with his new boss, so his boss won't know that he's gay, and Phillip says "Golf? Why don't you just eat pussy?" That really made me chuckle. 

Its not long before Steven is caught again and sent back to prison, where he scams his way out and end back in again. And again.

Seeing Jim Carrey in red leather hot pants and fishnet tights is one the greatest things I have ever seen, I mean he has some pins!

Soon, Steven starts to become really poorly, and is told he has A.I.D.S. Then the film goes back to Steven lying in a hospital bed at the beginning of the movie.
But, is the A.I.D.S another lie, or is he telling the truth this time? I'll leave it to you to find out!

My overall rating of this film is 8/10.
It has a really good story line, some really funny scenes, and an amazing performance by Jim Carrey.

Definitely not one too miss.