The Truman Show (1998)
An insurance salesman/adjuster discovers his entire life is actually a TV show (IMDb).
St. Kunta the Pious: 6.5/10
The Truman show is an interesting movie that seemed to me like
a criticism of TV consumerism, human predictability, and people with god
complexes named Cristof… At least that is how I saw it, and in this light, the
movie does an alright job.
I found myself really thinking critically how people slave
over the television and feel that this movie has a specific significance now
with the huge rise in “reality TV” shows that are all the rage nowadays. And
you can see parallels between the awkward commercial advertisements that they
force into camera on the Truman Show and the ridiculous amount of endorsement
that people who are on TV get. Any movie that gets me thinking is a welcome
treat.
Despite that plus, I feel that the movie could have been so
much better. The maker(s) of the movie ended up taking a direction that
I don’t necessarily think really explored the conflicts and troubles that I thought it was trying to critique.
For instance, the inclusion of so many diffusing moments in
the movie hinders it greatly. I refuse to believe that all the mishaps and
malfunctioning happened in that last bit of time that the movie took place when
the damn place had been running since Truman was a boy. The falling of that mechanical
light from the sky, the secret set behind the elevator, and stuff like the same
people passing by on rotation really make me believe this operation was pretty
shitty. I mean if you are tracking the guys with your ~5,000 cameras (which seems way
too small a number) how can you screw up that bad with the elevator?
How I feel this place would really end up...
Part of my disbelief also stems from the casting of Jim
Carrey as the lead role, and don’t get me wrong I love me some Jim Carrey.
Despite that I feel like any role you play Jim Carrey in is going to be overshadowed
by his typecast, as was the case here for me. Carrey’s goofy attitude and
extremely dramatic way of expression leaks into the movie through his character
and really downplays the dramatic effects for most of the movie.
But I guess who doesn't like watching Goofy shit?
I think a more serious tone and actor would have made this
movie a drama gem. But it’s already made so despite my problems with moments
such as his ecstatic dancing in the column of rain instead of honestly freaking
the hell out like any normal person, the obvious guilt trips throughout the
movie employed by the actors that would have driven any other man into insanity
and murder, or one of Truman’s epiphanies coming only after he realized his
wife crossed her fingers during their wedding… I will have to deal with it.
Suspension of disbelief is the audiences’ job after all, so
maybe I just have to try harder. I do like to think what exactly would happen
if a world like this actually existed… I mean the wife is literally a prostitute
who has a reciprocating hateful relationship with the man she has to spend her
days with by contract (think about her issues)… Imagine if they had a baby? That
would be tragic…
And everyone in this big tumor of a dome must have complexes
from faking much of their lives and if they don’t the chick who got cut in the
doctor’s office definitely does… Hope her benefits cover that… And I don’t care
how much money you get from advertisements, it must take tax money or something
to maintain that huge nipple from collapsing in on itself, especially after
decades.
I’m waiting for the remake where he snaps and starts
murdering people like I Imagine this would really work out.
Rufio: 9/10
The Truman Show is a great movie. Jim Carey is an excellent actor, best know for his comedies, but my favorite performances of his were in this and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Meryl was the worst, the absolute worst. I mean she never had a chance once Truman saw Sylvia, who is beautiful by the way, but she still did not need to be such a bitch. Her countless, ad pitches were annoying and I’m glad Truman called her on her BS.
Getting into the morals of having a child from birth as the unbeknownst to him star of a reality show, it obviously would not fly. I would be one of the people trying to rescue him, though I would have to think of a particularly creative way to get in. Christof talks about how it's so great in his made up world as Truman would not feel any fear. But if you aren't scared you are not challenging yourself properly. I would rather live in the real world where I may feel pain or fear but I have the chance to actually live.
"Good morning, and in case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening and good night."
Sam: 8/10
I had watched The Truman Show before and liked it, but this
time I really enjoyed it. It was nice to see Jim Carey in a role that isn’t
simply slapstick humor (though there’s nothing wrong with that), and be able to
pull it off. I really enjoyed the not so subtle product placement. I really
liked how the movie was set up, so that we learned more about his story when as
the movie goes on. I thought it was also very important how Christof explained
the story to his TV viewers (and us as viewers of the movie). He left very few
loose ends. There are a few loose ends that I can think of and a few questions,
but they don't detract from my enjoyment of the movie, in fact they may add to
it. Overall, I think the commitment to the show in the movie is excellent (Noah
Emmerich as Louis Coltrane as Marlon), and really draws the audience in. I
think this is the kind of movie that will just get better every time you watch
it.
El Mapache Marylandino: 9.5/10
I had never seen or even heard of The Truman Show before
tonight, but I can now say that this movie has quickly jumped close to the top
of my list. I am intrigued by the concept of a man whose every interaction is
scripted and broadcasted. From a young age he is not even allowed to experience
the natural workings of the world because he is trapped under the bubble of a
television set. Weather and day are decided upon by a production team. If it
weren’t for some of the mistakes of this production team Truman might not have
ever known he was just part of an experiment.
What is the role of the actors that are part of Truman’s
life? Should they just carry on their jobs knowing that every day they are
lying to this man? For most yes, but for others there was a sense of
responsibility. His father on the show actually raised him and was with him
through some of the most important events of his childhood. He, unlike the
mother, felt love and compassion for a true son that could not be taken away
with a fake drowning incident.
Some of the most interesting parts of the movie, though,
come not from the reactions of Truman. They are the true emotions of the actors
who begin to experience life for real. These actors who invest their whole
lives to carrying on a lie are the ones that ought to be pitied. Not the
experimented but the experimenters. In some instances they begin to experience
the real world. The most telling example of this real emotion is when Truman is
with his wife Meryl in the car and later at the home. She begins to experience
true fear because she does not know what is going to happen next. The producer
has calculated every move for her, but this unexpected and unpredictable event
has left her shocked and scared.
Common Plebeian: 6/10
As a fan of Jim Carey, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. This
is one of the Carey films I have not seen. Before discussing the pros, let us
take a look at some of the technical issues.
There is a major time issue that is notably distracting. They
explicitly state that The Truman Show airs in real-time and runs 24/7. Given
that at any moment, half the real world is asleep and half is awake, there is
no way for everyone to keep up with the show. As this blog’s Asian liaison I
take particular issue when they show the reaction of a Japanese family watching
the Truman show in addition to old ladies and the bar, which I can only guess are
in North America. In summary, The Truman Show timeline could never line up with
the real-world’s timeline in such a way that the entire world is on the same
page. Half of the world would always be watching him sleep. On a similar note,
there is always a significant portion of dead time, meaning times when Truman
is not doing anything that the viewers would find remotely interesting; to name
a few: bathroom breaks, sleeping, reading, cleaning, working, etc. Go ahead, count
how many moments there are in your daily life that you would personally find
interesting as a TV viewer. I mean my life is awesome, so don’t go by me.
Still, for the average commoner (some might even say plebeian), there is an
abundance of dead time; look at right now for example, you are reading a blog.
That is not good TV if your life is a sitcom.
Still on critiques but shifting gears, I (and I’m sure plenty
of you) find it very hard to believe
that Truman makes it ~30 years without discovering anything about this
conspiracy and all of a sudden, the sky literally starts falling. Things fall
into place remarkably quickly. A possible alternative would be having Truman
slowly accrue information throughout the years and then make a daring escape.
Note: They might allude to this scenario when we discover that Truman was
faking (or overcame) his fear of water. Nevertheless, this idea is never fully
fleshed out.
Digging deeper, I feel no connection with any character in
this film. True, most of them are actors representing fake personalities. But
even the characters of substance are superficial. Sylvia and Christof are in
this battle over the ridiculous show. Aside from their phone confrontation (which
alludes to their history of arguments) and the excessive amount of posters in Sylvia’s
apartment, this argument is virtually absent. This is the emotional climax of
this movie’s message and it gets less than five minutes. This is particularly
tragic since this is where the deepest theme of this movie lies; how far is too
far when pleasing the public? Is one life an acceptable sacrifice for providing
the world with an outlet for hope? (Although the show is so popular, we learn
just how insignificant it is when we see the Garage Attendants nonchalantly
change the channel after The Truman Show ends; so how much hope does it really
bring to the real world? I don’t know.) There are also allusions to how
horrible the real world has become, but this idea is also muddled since we get
no perspective of the real world. The only feeling we get for the real world is
that all of them watch The Truman Show. Yes, this could be their escape from
their terrible societies, but we can only guess about what it is like there. I
side with both of these commentaries on society, but no personal struggles
captured my heart. The only moral struggles I felt came from lying to Truman. We
could sometimes feel the inner conflict of Truman’s best friend, Marlon, but he
is fundamentally an actor and does his job.
The overarching messages are there, but are not fleshed out
enough. Other personal struggles were not relatable, as they merely pertained
to the ridiculousness of Seahaven.
Sorry, I didn’t plan for that to be so in depth but I hope
you appreciate the thoughts. Let’s move on to the pros.
My favorite joke is when Truman expresses his desire to
become an explorer and his teacher tell his that it is too late and that there
is nothing left to explore. I also thoroughly enjoyed the product placement and
commercials weaved into the show.
I loved Sylvia’s eyes; they are a nice motif worked into
Truman’s morning routine. The flashbacks are also heart wrenching due in part
to those captivating eyes.
The ending is fantastic. It is a little predictable, but
concise, funny, and well executed.
Finally, Jim Carey is a fantastic, diverse actor. I’m pretty
familiar with his comedies and this was a refreshing view of his dramatic side
with some of his comedic touches thrown in.
Like I mentioned before, the value of this movie is
definitely present, but as you can see from the length of the pro section, it
only scratches the surface.
-CP (БК)
Total: 39/50
Average: 7.8/10
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