Change Your Image
Usbek
Reviews
God Said, 'Ha!' (1998)
Act makes for a better CD than film
i got a copy of julia sweeney's god said ha on CD last summer and have come to really love it. most of her act is really funny but what makes it so great is that sweeney takes you into her personal life. you really feel like you are a close friend who is being told all the intimate details of her struggles throughout her terrible ordeals. when i finally got to see the movie on tv last week, i was slightly disappointed. the CD contains about 20 extra minutes of material which are excellent. i was particularly disappointed with the camera direction and the way sweeney put cheesy music behind some of the more dramatic dialogue. the film tricks- such as lighting and closeups- that are used to supposedly enhance the act just end up taking away from it. i highly recommend anyone to pick up her CD but her movie is just not as good.
Man on the Moon (1999)
Very funny but surprisingly dramatic
Jim Carrey delivers a superb performance as Andy Kaufman. Carrey clearly did his homework in preparation for his role as all of Kaufman's mannerisms, speech, facial expressions, and body movements are nailed down perfectly. Here's a role that perhaps only Kaufman himself could of played better. This film, in addition to his work in Truman Show, solidifies Carrey as a legit film actor who can perform brilliantly in dramatic roles.
In fact, drama is the strength and backbone of this film. Although no serious film about Andy Kaufman could of been made without showing the comical genius of the comedian/entertainer, the film's best moments are when it takes you behind the scenes and show Kaufman as a human being and his deep relationships with his friends, not just a silly Kaufman on stage as either a prankster or wrestler or comedian.
Perhaps my only problems with the film were the recreations of televised footage of Kaufman such as when he appeared on Saturday Night Live, David Letterman Show, Taxi, or his wrestling matches. What I would of love see is to transpose Carrey's image over Kaufman's image (ala Forrest Gump style) in those real footages and thus allow the audience to see the actual events as they had taken place.