FilmBuff1994
Man on the Moon is a terrific film with a very well developed plot and a spectacular cast. It is a truly interesting, unconventional biography film that follows the life of complicated, eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman. It does not hold back on showcasing who this man truly was as both a performer and in real life, the film matches up the tone to who he was as a person in a way that I think would have made Kaufman proud had he been around to see this. The only real gripe I had with this movie is that it did not really manage to pull me in at the more emotional moments because of how absurd and over the top it is, for the most part. When they tried to showcase real humanity for Kaufman, it just felt a little too forced and on the nose. The performances are magnificent, Danny DeVito, Paul Giamatti and Courtney Love all truly embody their characters in larger than life performances, but it is without a doubt the remarkable Carrey who really takes us away from beginning to end. He is mesmerizing as Kaufman, funny and emphatic, you will forget you are watching him and just get absorbed in to his portrayal. A great watch. Funny and fascinating, Man on the Moon is a truly unique movie that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good biography or comedy. Follows the life and career of eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman. Best Performance: Jim Carrey
The Grand Master
Jim Carrey had a reputation of showcasing his rubbery face and goofy personality which endeared himself to many audiences. Although very popular throughout his career, others found him to be one dimensional and it was another case of asking "Can Jim Carrey do anything else?" While The Truman Show (1998) was the start of Jim Carrey proving he can branch out, I felt his role as the ill-fated Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon suited him perfectly to the ground. Although the movie netted a lot of critical acclaim as well as a well deserved Golden Globe for Jim Carrey, sadly it was quite an underrated movie which flopped at the box office.Man on the Moon squarely focuses on the biography of legendary comedian Andy Kaufman (Jim Carrey) right up to his untimely death in 1984 at aged 35 from lung cancer. The movie explores his early days through childhood and showcasing his comedic talents in comedy clubs and television appearances, including his memorable appearances on Saturday Night Live (which saw him banned), Late Night with David Letterman, Fridays, and his role in the popular TV show Taxi. There is special mention of the inside jokes and scams including his long-running feud with wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and his portrayal of the bawdy lounge singer Tony Clifton. Kaufman's personal life is also explored including his romantic relationship with Lynne Margulies (Courtney Love in a good role), and his friendships with Tony Shaprio (Danny DeVito) and creative partner Bob Zmunda (Paul Giamatti).Jim Carrey was a real pleasure to watch as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon and I'm sorry that the movie was not a hit in 1999. Director Milos Forman (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, The People vs Larry Flynt) proves he is still a quality director with Man on the Moon by bringing out the best of Jim Carrey.Sorely underrated, Man on the Moon is a quality movie showcasing that Jim Carrey can, in fact, act is not just a pretty (rubbery) face.8/10.
jadavix
I wasn't able to get my head around Andy Kaufman and who he was supposed to be, and after watching "Man on the Moon", I'm still not. I believe that's the point. Kaufman wasn't a comedian or even an actor as much as he was a practical joker. It wasn't enough for him to become another person: he wanted people to believe that person was completely separate from him, insisting on separate acting credits for his creations, and going as far as getting other actors to play the role right when everyone thought they had it pegged as Kaufman in a suit.He was such a consummate joker that rumours persist he faked his own death. The movie leaves this ambiguous, as everything you have seen leading up to it makes you wonder if conspiracy theorists might be right for a change.Carrey's performance is a thing of beauty. He doesn't look much like Kaufman did, but that doesn't matter. You forget it's him you're watching early on and he becomes the character, or characters. You don't know if the character is Kaufman, or Kaufman playing someone else, or someone else playing Kaufman, which is about right. I believe that's the point.
SnoopyStyle
Andy Kaufman (Jim Carrey) is a misunderstood child and a misunderstood comic. He loves to play WITH the audience more than play TO the audience. Talent agent George Shapiro (Danny DeVito) signs him up despite thinking that he's a foreigner who speaks broken English. He gets the role on Taxi and develops the character Tony Clifton with his writing partner Bob Zmuda (Paul Giamatti). Andy starts wrestling women planting actresses like Lynne Margulies (Courtney Love) who ends up being his girlfriend. He gets into a fight with professional wrestler Jerry Lawler. Then he gets cancer but people aren't sure if it's actually a joke.Firstly, there is a surreal quality to this starting with Andy Kaufman at the beginning of the movie stating that things have been changed up. The other thing is that so many people are playing themselves in the movie. It's like an alternate universe. There's also the fact that Jim Carrey does a lot of crazy stuff on stage. Carrey puts it all on the line in this movie and it shows. I wouldn't put too much stock in the accuracy debate. I don't usual care that much about that and this movie can be seen as another Tony Clifton production anyways.
AD
