5. ONCE BITTEN (1985)
This is an extremely silly teen sex comedy about vampires, but it was Jim Carrey before he was Jim Carrey. He's young, unknown, and likable as teen being seduced by an older woman, who has plans to turn him into fanged creature of the night. Though I did like a lot of the films Carrey was in before he made big, this was the one that showed he had some chops. And, though this spot could have been easily taken by something like "The Majestic", I couldn't help but put this little known piece of fluff on here.
4. THE MASK (1994)
1994 was the year that Jim Carrey went from that white guy on "In Living Color", to the fame he enjoys today. He had three breakout films, and "The Mask" was the best of them. Not only was it the funniest of the three films, but Carrey's performance was frantic, wild, and wonderfully cartoony. It was the role that most displayed the limits of his physical comedy. The schizophrenic nature of the character, and fast-paced delivery of joke after joke showed what he learned after years of performing on stage and in sketch comedy. This was also the first of many Golden Globe nominations for Carrey.
3.MAN ON THE MOON (1999)
What role is better for a rising comedy legend, than a widely beloved comedy legend? Carrey took the role of Andy Kaufman (whose birthday is also tomorrow) from mere mimicry to a near perfect copy, and got a Golden Globe for it (sadly, he was not nominated for an Oscar). He turned him into a much more complex and tragic character than Kaufman was in public. Those who hated him came to love him, those who loved him felt the tragic loss of bright comedian all over again.
2. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004)
Everytime I watch this film, I fall deeper in love with it. Here is a performance by Carrey that is sweet mixture of comedic and dramatic, and showed every facet of his seemingly limitless skills. The film starts at the end of a relationship. Carrey finds out his ex (Kate Winslet) has had a new procedure to erase him from her memories. He's broken and desperate, and every emotion is worn on his sleeve. You see the extremes he is willing to go through to forget the emotional pain that he is in (anyone who has been on the bad side of a break-up can empathize wholly), but better, you actually care. And when you see him try to save the good times in vain, your heart sinks.
1. THE TRUMAN SHOW (1998)
1994 may be the year that Jim Carrey became a household name, but 1998 was the year he was certain to become an Oscar Contender. Sadly, his nomination still hasn't arrived, despite 6 Golden Globe nominations, and 2 wins, including one for this performance. As Truman Burbank, a man who has spent his entire life as a television show, and never known it, Carrey is polite, subdued, and very charming. His smile is earnest, his jokes are corny, but endearing. He is the epitome of the every-man, and everything has been carefully planned that way by years of manipulation. This was the moment you looked at Jim Carrey as an adult. The moment "Ace Ventura" went out the window. The moment a true star had arrived.
Okay, I'll comment.
ReplyDeleteWas there a reason you didn't put "Dumb and Dumber" on the list? One of his bigger movies, I would think.
In other news, I remember walking out of "The Truman Show" and wondering if I was being watched, looking at the stars and wondering if they were real. The movie was certainly one of his best.
It was indeed one of his bigger films, but I base this list on the performance alone. I like "Dumb and Dumber", but I didn't feel his performance in that was one of his absolute strongest. He did do a fine job in it.
ReplyDeleteThe only one on this list I haven't seen is man on the moon. I would probably put Liar Liar in it's place. And Eternal Sunshine is my favorite of his. Truman Show is a very close second.
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