Man on the Moon

I just finished watching this movie, and it left me feeling so empty and unsatisfied, it makes me feel sick. Let me state clear that I didn't know who Andy Kaufman was, but now I've seen this movie I'm sure I don't WANT TO know who Andy Kaufman was. The main character doesn't win any sympathy during the film. It's sad that a brilliant comedian like Jim Carrey plays a person that's way less funny than he himself is. I really really really don't understand the high rating of this movie. It NEVER made me laugh...NEVER!

Don't expect a funny movie just because it's a Jim Carry movie. You will be very very disappointed if you do. Even the cable guy was many times funnier then this movie. Jim Carry acted very well however it's not the kind of movie you would expect from him. Man on the moon is definitely a drama and you need to search very hard to find any comedy in it. However from what i understood, Andy Kaufman wasn't very funny himself. Which does mean that it is, at the very least a realistic movie. Though it's definitely not worth the 7.4 it has at the moment this short review was written. There isn't anything more useful i can say about this movie. However to be able to submit this short review i will need to write at least ten lines.

About the only positive thing I can say is that Andy Kaufman would have loved this. Apparently he enjoyed producing a negative effect in his audience far more than he cared about entertaining them, so this certainly is the film he would have wanted to make. Mr. Kaufman was capable of being incredibly funny and incredibly unfunny, but he was incapable of telling the difference.

Man on the Moon is one of the most heart-felt endeavors I've ever seen on film. With each frame, you can feel how much the project means personally to all involved, especially to star Jim Carrey and producer Bob Zmuda. Although personal adoration for the subject of one's movie does not always translate into a film that audience members will identify with, Man on the Moon succeeds brilliantly. Between Milos Forman's unique directing style, the actors' performances, and Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski's writing, the film is able to simultaneously make you a member in one of Andy Kaufman's audiences, experiencing both joy and frustration at his antics, and a close friend who sees, or thinks they see, the Andy Kaufman behind the masks. Just as Karaszewski and Alexander did with the Ed Wood or Larry Flint biopicks, they challenge our concept of what it means to be successful by giving dignity to to the seeming misfits of our society. However, a biopick like Man on the Moon succeeds or fails mainly on the grounds of the lead performance. Jim Carrey proved his dramatic talent last year with a performance in The Truman Show that should have translated into an Oscar, and this year he again gives what will likely be the best performance of the year. Carrey approaches the role of Kaufman with a level of professionalism and enthusiasm far greater than that displayed by many of today's acclaimed actors. Carrey adopts Kaufman's mannerisms flawlessly and becomes Kaufman so convincingly that you forget Carrey is acting. The film's other stars, in particular Paul Giamatti, Courtney Love, and Danny DeVito, all turn in excellent performances as well. Man on the Moon is both inspiring and thought provoking - a must see.

Jim Carrey delivers on of the greatest acting achievements of the nineties in this stunning biopic about the legendary comedian Andy Kaufman (the man on the moon, according to REM). For me as a European citizen, Andy Kaufman is a complete mystery. I've never seen any of his performances in Saturday Night Live nor have I ever seen any of his live shows. After seeing the movie five times, I as a Dutch not-knowing citizen who had never heard of Kaufman before, can make an image of the man and his brilliance. This is all thanks to Milos Forman and a stunning Jim Carrey, who really becomes Andy Kaufman. According to me, this movie is where Jim Carrey proves that he is just more than a funny guy, and after seeing him in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Carrey has really proved that he is in fact a character actor.

Biographies of strange people have always fascinated me, and this is no exception. And "strange" doesn't really seem to adequately describe real-life comedian Andy Kauffman. He was REALLY different, many times very offensive, sometimes very unfunny....but always extremely interesting and certainly unique. Jim Carrey shows us once again how comedians can be such good dramatic actors. Carrey is outstanding in this role, and perfect for it. The rest of the cast is good, too, from Danny DeVito to Paul Giamatti to Courtney Love. Right from the beginning of this movie one sees how original it is, and how original Kaufman was as a comedian. His routines, antics and put-ons are so realistically done that no thinks they are just that. Unfortunately, his "jokes" don't always go over so well, aren't appreciated by most audiences and he is not always the most likable entertainer you will ever see. That means - be forewarned - that there are a number of unpleasant scenes in this film. You have to really appreciate Kauffman's absurd humor and to appreciate Carrey's great portrait of this man. On multiple viewings (I've seen it four times) I liked this film even more than the first time, even though I knew the surprises. I don't know of any comedian - to this day - who deliberately tried to annoy his audience or truly liked it when his audience hated him. I cannot believe he had the nerve to do the things he did. In summary, this is a fascinating biography, to say the least.

Let's face it: Andy Kaufman was a zero. As far as I could tell, he never tried to do any meaningful skit; he just acted weird all the time. If people got annoyed with him, it was only because he brought it on himself. And he was pretty weird as a person. SO WHY IN THE NAME OF ANYTHING HOLY WOULD THEY WANT TO MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT HIM????????!!!!!!!!! Apparently, they thought that everyone on earth really admired the guy. "Man on the Moon"'s dismal performance hopefully disproved that. I don't care that Jim Carrey looks almost exactly like Andy Kaufman or that they share a birthday; there was no reason to make this movie.

For all the attention he got, Andy Kaufman didn't leave much of a comic legacy. Mostly just his part on Taxi, where his Latka character could be amusing in small doses. So why make a movie about a secondary sitcom actor? Unfortunately, you'll still be asking that question when the movie is over. What Kaufman was famous for is stunts involving feigned anger or outright verbal abuse that were designed to entertain only himself. People who watched him hoping to see something funny often just saw shouting and threats. He was called a comedian but he preferred being unfunny. Man on the Moon carefully recreates these episodes. Makeup artists make Jim Carrey look exactly like Kaufman, and Carrey meticulously reenacts all of Kaufman's mannerisms. The producers even cast many of Kaufman's actual accomplices, like wrestler Jerry Lawler. The problem is, when you carefully, painstakingly recreate an unfunny event, you get a careful, painstaking unfunny event. This isn't a failed movie in the sense it doesn't achieve its goal; it's a failed movie in the sense that the goal was never worth achieving.

I saw a special sneak preview of "Man on the Moon" last week in Boston. Quite simply, the film is magnificent, and truly provides the audience with a glimpse into the genius of Andy Kaufman. There are moments of true hilarity, and moments that will break your heart. Of course, this film would be nothing without the inspired performance by Jim Carrey. Within the first moments of the film, you completely forget that it is Jim Carrey on screen. Rarely have I seen an actor truly transform into the persona that he is portraying. Jim Carrey was Andy Kaufman. At the very least, Mr. Carrey is deserving of every honor that is given in acting. No other performance this year comes even close to this. Without question, this is a film for the ages, and gives everyone a look into the mind of a genius.