I LOVE YOU
PHILLIP
Words: Nicola Tiley It is instantly made clear that I Love You Phillip Morris is far from made up. Less then half way through the fact this is based on a true story is at times hard to remember. Although there are glimmers of disbelief if you manage to stick to this one, you won’t be disappointed. The plot follows Jim Carey’s character Steven Russell and the lies that surround his life. Following the rejection of his birth mother, Steven’s life takes a turn for the worse. After sharing that he is actually gay the character’s life becomes a tale of deception. From fraud to theft Steven’s life is a collection of trips to prison and admissions to hospitals. However, when meeting fellow prisoner Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor, Steven falls in love. Viewers are left to follow the ups and downs of their romantic relationship through Steven’s continual lies. Both Carey and McGregor manage to deliver believable acting throughout. Portraying their gay roles with great ease, it’s hard not to get sucked in on the twists and turns they both face. For many it will be hard to accept Carey as a gay character, taking a little longer
MORRIS
then perhaps necessary for him to adapt to the role. His usual stance of comedy actor is practically non-existent. Aside from the occasional moment of humour that doesn’t really touch the surface of Carey’s previous hits, he does pull off an incredibly realistic performance. Despite Carey’s success it is Ewan McGregor that really shines through, it could be easy to say he has stolen the limelight from what should have been Carey’s lead role. Playing shy and retiring Phillip there is no doubt he is sure to get viewers hooked from start to finish. As the main characters fall in love they face moments of being torn apart and again reunited throughout the entire film. Viewers are left guessing the two’s fate throughout watching Steven’s trials of life, it is the end of the film that really throws in the twists with one of Steven’s last lies being truly unpredictable. If you’re looking for your usual romantic comedy then you definitely won’t find it looking here. I Love You Phillip Morris wouldn’t appear to work on paper despite the fact it really happened, but strangely enough it really does work.