Customer Reviews:
Jim Carry at his best.......2007-12-27
A great story of 'hidden layers' to reality, and the suggestion that life can be an illusion. It is an illustration of way our lives can be cheapened and commercialised, but it is done in such an entertaining way, that it never gets bogged down in moralising or philosophising. It just plays along with the fun scenario. The weirness starts fairly early on, and it is soon clear that all is not as it seems, but even though 'the game is up' it doesn't lose momentum.
The understated ending is perfect - it brings all the threads together in a kind of heartstopping moment, and then leaves it wonderfully open again. Great stuff!
Great, thought provoking movie!.......2007-11-24
A really interesting movie which follows the life of a man named Truman Burbank, played by Jim Carey. Born into a reality television show, he grows up unknowing that every single person in the little town he lives in is an actor. Every single movement and conversation has been scripted, and every thing surrounding his life is filmed and broadcast as part of a show in the "real world".
It follows the standard Hero archetype - which is covered in depth by the American mythology professor, writer and orator, Joseph Campbell - of a human being born into a life of illusion and ignorance who comes to suspect that there is something wrong about his world. He develops a burning curiosity and insight and begins to see through the deception and removes the wool that has been pulled over his eyes for so long. It's a heartwarming film, with a balanced mixture of comedy, romance and a tragic awakening towards the end.
Not only does it deal with the potential horrors that may lie in an industry bent on transmitting - for entertainment - so called "reality television", but is actually a stunning metaphor and portrayal of the drama that lies in wait for every human being.
Should be watched hand in hand with the Matrix. Very thought provoking indeed!
Wow! This is a must see movie.......2007-11-19
This is a very powerful movie. I have never been a big fan of Jim Carrey, but in this movie he is great and plays the character with much sensitivity apart from humor. Apparently the movie was never a big success in the US, which could be because the subject is too close for comfort.
It brings to mind the story by Gurdjieff of the evil magician, as the movie shows how Truman is really not in control of anything, as it is all orchestrated from above. Just like we like to think we are at the top of the food chain and in control of our lives, so too does Truman believe that he makes real choices and that he is free. Little does he know that he is lives in a "cage". To keep Truman from discovering the Truth, the "media" is employed to constantly shape his opinions and to suppress any questioning of the reality in which he lives. This has scary parallels to todays world, where the mainstream media and manufactured opinion polls acts like the ancient Greek chorus in shaping public opinion the way the controllers wish it to be.
So definitely a top movie, that won't disappoint. It is a wake-up call to question one's own reality and to whether one is just a machine playing out a script written by someone else.
"We can't let him die in front of a live audience!", "...He was born in front of a live audience.".......2007-11-14
Have you ever had one of those philosophical daydreams where you wonder if your entire life is actually just a dream that you've had whilst in a coma, or what would happen if you looked down and realised you'd forgotten to your trousers on and not realised until just now (less philosophical I grant you), or if your entire life was being watched by millions on TV and you never new about it.
Well, that last one is brilliantly portrayed in The Truman Show.
There are some fantastic comedy moments, my favourite has to be when his wife is engaging in some obvious product placement and Truman is starting to find it a bit strange, helping to trigger his suspicions that things aren't quite what they seem.
His life is a daily repetition of the same routine, with everything synchronised to happen as scheduled. But when a studio light seemingly falls from the sky, a protester refers to him by name, and people seem to be keeping something from you, you can't help but feel that there's something of a conspiracy afoot.
Given the obsession with cheap and trashy reality TV over the last decade, it's hard to believe that this film wasn't made in the last year or so, but it actually predates the reality TV mania by a few years. When this film was made, reality TV was only just beginning to crawl blinking out of the darkness - ready to kill off genuine creative television and make pseudo-celebrities out of the shallow fame seekers. But as "Christof" (Ed Harris) the creator of The Truman Show (in the film, not the film itself!) says, there is nothing fake about Truman, although he lives in a fake world where everyone he knows are actors simply playing a part - Truman himself is absolutely genuine.
It's the honest nice-ness of the man which makes the audience want him to find genuine happiness, and get to the bottom of what is happening. The film shows clips of people at home watching Truman, it makes reference to key points in his life - all shared with the world. Truman is loved by the world like a family member; he has grown up with them, always there in the corner of the room at the flick of a switch.
The film is as compelling to watch as the Truman Show is to the audience in the film, it has great re-watch value too as you notice things you maybe never noticed before, and things which seemed innocuous initially become understood with the retrospective knowledge gained from seeing the film previously.
This "Special Collector's Edition" doesn't seem that special though, there is a "Making of" documentary, a feature on the visual effects, and extended scenes - stuff you come to expect on a standard release. A collector's addition, particularly a "special" one should have at least a commentary to listen to, and maybe a feature on how likely such a show is now that the world seems addicted to reality TV.
The film is fantastic and Jim Carey impresses as a character which breaks away from his usual manic role, the humour is contrasted well by the sad truth that a decent man has lived a lie all his life in order that the masses are entertained.
Amazon.co.uk Review
The whole world is watching--literally--every time Truman Burbank makes the slightest move. Unbeknownst to him, in this hauntingly funny film by Peter Weir, his entire life has been an unending soap opera for consumption by the rest of the world. And everyone he knows--including his mother, his wife and his bestfriend--is really an actor, paid to be part of his life. In this intriguing and surprisingly touching 1998 film, writer Andrew Niccol imagines an ultimate kind of celebrity, then sees it brought to life with comic intensity and emotional honesty by Jim Carrey in what maybe the performance of his career. Carrey has exceptional support from Laura Linney and Ed Harris but it's his show, in a portrayal that demonstrates just what kind of range Carrey is capable of. --MarshallFine
Amazon.co.uk Review
The whole world is watching--literally--every time Truman Burbank makes the slightest move. Unbeknownst to him, in this hauntingly funny film by Peter Weir, his entire life has been an unending soap opera for consumption by the rest of the world. And everyone he knows--including his mother, his wife, and his best friend--is really an actor, paid to be part of his life. In this intriguing and surprisingly touching 1998 film, writer Andrew Niccol (screenwriter for Gattaca) imagines an ultimate kind of celebrity, then sees it brought to life with comic intensity and emotional honesty by Jim Carrey in what may be the performance of his career. Carrey has exceptional support from Laura Linney and Ed Harris, but it's his show, in a portrayal that demonstrates just what kind of range Carrey is capable of. -- Marshall Fine, Amazon.com
UK DVD:
- The Unit - Series 2 - Complete [2006]
- To Kill A Mockingbird (2 Disc Special Edition)
- Twin Peaks: Complete Season 1 [1990]
- Waterloo [1970]
- Waterloo Road : Complete BBC Series 1 [2006]
- Waterloo Road The Complete Series 2 [2008]
- When The Boat Comes In: Complete Collection (24 Disc BBC Boxed Set) [2007]
- Wilde [1997]
- Wire in the Blood: Series 1 and 2 (5 Disc Box Set) [2002]
- Wuthering Heights [1992]
UK DVD List
UK DVD
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