There's no denying that Jim Carrey has a mountain of talent. He practically invented a new brand of comedy with "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," "Dumb & Dumber" and "The Mask." He helped drive "The Truman Show" to being one of the most original movies of 1998. Then, in last year's "Man on the Moon," he portrayed comic-genius Andy Kaufman so accurately that it was frightening.
Thus, it comes as no surprise that Carrey, along with the help of the crazy Farrelly brothers, shoulders the weight of "Me, Myself & Irene," and drives it to success. Once again, Carrey moves beyond the already entertaining script and adds another dimension to a movie by showcasing his broad acting-ability spectrum.
The directors and writers of previous 1990s comic hits such as "Dumb & Dumber," "There's Something About Mary" and "Kingpin," Bobby and Peter Farrelly have once again written a script that pushes the limits of the comedy genre and political correctness. It succeeds because of its shock value and old-fashioned, guffaw-generating humor.
In the movie, Carrey plays Charlie, a seemingly genial member of the Rhode Island state police. Charlie is a pushover, and after being taken advantage of by all of his peers, he finally cracks and develops a second, more sinister personality whom he calls Hank.
Suddenly, much to Charlie's chagrin, Hank starts driving cars into storefronts and relieving himself on his neighbor's lawn in an attempt to discharge his previously bottled-up emotions. When his local office arrests sexy Irene (Rene Zellweger) and asks him to transport her to a neighboring station, both Charlie and Hank unleash themselves on unsuspecting victims during an interstate road trip.
Most of the movie's humor arises from Carrey's on-target performance. His famous physical humor returns in the film, resulting in some particularly hilarious scenes including one in which he attempts to put a dying cow out of its misery and another in which he finds himself in a long physical fight with -- himself.
His smooth transitions between two personalities validate an almost unbelievable character. Meanwhile, his famed facial subtleties always reveal what his character hides inside -- it's never a secret what Charlie and Hank are thinking.
The Farrelly brothers also deserve credit for their continued rejection of political correctness and their ability to still shock a jaded, modern audience. Humor dealing with racial differences moves to the forefront when the brothers borrow an idea from Steve Martin's ingenious "The Jerk." Charlie has black triplets, and the brothers take full advantage of this plot twist, using it to produce some of the most clever jokes in the film.
Skillful use of editing results in some particularly disgusting associations with ice cream and excrement. A convoluted and unbelievable conspiracy-laden plot creates laughs, and the brothers even borrow from cult film director John Waters and throw in a sequence inspired by his "Pink Flamingos." Needless to say, it's not for the faint of heart.
Then again, most of their humor is not for the squeamish. The Farrelly brothers love potty humor, and they are never above picturing oversized rubber dildos, grown men suckling on women's breasts or close-ups of dogs doing their business. The brothers are so unapologetic about their humor that offending people does not seem to bother them. But that is exactly what makes their humor work so well.
Zellweger also does a good job at creating some chemistry in the film's bizarre love triangle (with Charlie and Hank), and the three actors who play Charlie's amusing three sons also deserve praise.
But about halfway through, the movie loses some of its momentum. Part of the success of "There's Something About Mary" was due to its impeccable timing and relentless onslaught of gag after gag. However, in "Me, Myself & Irene," the Farrelly brothers fail to match their work in "Mary," and the movie drags in its middle. Maybe there's a limit to the number of anal penetration jokes a person can take during a two-hour period.
Nevertheless, "Me, Myself & Irene" is a genuinely funny film that can shamelessly reside next to the Farrelly's 1990s hits.
