I Love You Phillip Morris

From writer/directors Glenn Ficara and John Requa (Bad Santa) comes a story that proves truth is really stranger than fiction.  Based on real events, Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell - an upstanding Texas cop with a loving wife and daughter.  From the outside, Steven looks like a happy family man, but he's actually hiding a secret... he's gay.  So he continues living a double life until a near-death experience makes him decide once and for all to come out of the closet.  Now, Steven is living the life he's always dreamed.  But with that life comes a hefty price-tag, and Steven resorts to becoming a con man in order to support his lavish lifestyle.  When the law finally catches up to him, Steven ends up in prison and meets Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), the love of his life.  But will Steven's game of deception get in the way of his and Phillip's relationship?  Carrey shines in this role and makes Steven such a fascinating character that you can't take your eyes off of him.  The way Steven starts out tricking people is almost forgivable, but eventually it gets to the point where it seems like he lies out of a sick compulsion.  Yet Carrey makes him so charming that not only do you believe Steven can't help himself, but you find yourself hoping he doesn't get caught.  McGregor, as the naive Phillip, is simple and sweet, but when he discovers Steven's been lying to him all this time, he unleashes a surprising anger that I didn't think he had in him.  The two seasoned actors are a pleasure to watch together, and their chemistry is electric (not to mention some racy sex scenes that are simultaneously steamy and comical).  I Love You Phillip Morris tells a story that is almost too bizarre to believe, but the bittersweet reality of these characters' lives provides the perfect balance to the light tone of the film, making it irreverently funny and touching.

4 out of 5 stars