LIAR LIAR
A film review by Michael Redman
Copyright 1997 Michael Redman
** (out of ****)
For such an over-the-edge actor, Jim Carrey has had a career of "almosts". The witty television series "The Duck Factory" almost had an audience. "Ace Ventura" parts One and B were almost funny. "The Cable Guy" was almost a good film.
In "Liar Liar", the rubber-faced one is hilarious and he almost raises the film above its terminally saccharine plot.
Fletcher Reid (Carrey) is a fast-talking lawyer with his occupation's stereotypical lack of regard for the truth. On the fast track towards partnership in his firm, Reid doesn't have much time for his five year old son. He continually disappoints the kid by promising to spend time with him and not showing up. =
Young Max is growing tired of the lies. Explaining to his class what his father does for a living, he calls him a "liar". His teacher corrects him, reminding him that he must mean "lawyer". Yeah, maybe.
On Max's birthday party (sans dad of course), his wish is that Fletcher should go through one day telling only the truth. Luckily his wish comes true =97 otherwise we wouldn't have much of a film. For a man who lives o= n little white lies, and a few enormous black ones, this is not an easy task.
After spending an evening making a partner so that he could make partner, he tells her "I've had better." In one of the movie's several low neckline cleavage-heavy scenes, he tells a new resident in the building exactly why men are so helpful to her. And on it goes.
The main storyline concerns a new, very important client. A young ditzy blonde with the all important plunging neckline and ample bosom is divorcing her zillionaire husband and Reid wants to take him for all he's worth. If he does well with this trial, his partnership is in the bag.
The problem is that with their pre-nup and her infidelity (seven lovers at last count), there really isn't much of a case=85unless he plays fast and lose with the truth. Now he can't lie.
The story is much the same as the other half dozen over-worked absent father films that have graced us during the past few months. Nice young boy, attractive divorced wife who still loves him, too much work: you know the drill. Everyone's cute, cute, cute and I, for one, hate "cute". When the plot's not cute, it's insipid. When it's cute, it's even worse.
The good news is that Carrey is a slapstick genius. Some of his bits where he explodes onto the screen are inspired. A scene where Reid mugs himself in a restroom, slamming himself into a wall, smashing his own head with a toilet seat and punching himself out demonstrates his skill as a physical comedian. His struggle with a pen is as classic as any spit-take.
Unfortunately this doesn't mean that he's much of an actor here. Obviously the film was constructed around his ad libs and antics, many of which are great. The mistake happens when the movie turns to his relationship with his son and even worse, with his wife. While the love between father and son is believable, it never takes the film anywhere. Without Carrey, the film would be unwatchable. As it is, it's only unwatchable part of the time.
The best bits -- and this will tell you a lot -- are the outtakes shown as the credits run. Director Tom Shadyac has the good taste to let Carrey run wild most of the time, falling apart only when he attempts to do something with a plot. Perhaps they should have made a movie entirely of the film on the cutting room floor.
[This appeared in the 3/27/97 issue of the "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com ]
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