3. I Love You Phillip Morris
Lets face it, sex in films is funny. Seeing it presented on screen, that naked scramble for pleasure and happiness, is generally very comical. John Cameron Mitchells Shortbus did a very good job of showing how funny the act could be, in all its forms, but this film goes one further in that it does not just take a hilarious look at sex, but also love- the lengths people are willing to go to, the ways in which people are willing to communicate with each other under hard circumstances- with the end result that the film runs the gamut through hilarious, comes out the other side, and becomes incredibly touching. This film is blessed by the comic presence of Jim Carrey, playing convict Stephen Russell. Im not going to say that this one of his serious roles (his orientation is announced in a scene where he yells Im going to come in your ass as he does just that), but there is a certain amount of pathos there. We come to know him, and eventually care about him, as we follow him from childhood, to marriage, to coming out, to becoming an insurance fraud, to prison, to true love and beyond. Ewan McGregor, as Russells eponymous lover, plays it quiet and softly spoken, but honestly- together, they make a very convincing screen couple. Part of the key to the films success is that, despite being friendly and charming and funny, Carreys character is a massive bastard. He abandons his family, has lied to his wife for his entire marriage, and breaks numerous laws. It is no doubt down to the excellent writing, from writer/director duo John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, based on Steve McVickers book of the same name, that at no point does the audience feel anything but fascination and sympathy for this man who is, by all accounts, simply a slave to his feelings. He does bad things, but cannot help it. We can all relate to that. There is no real wider message here, and the film is careful to not touch on many larger themes- it operates solely on the human level, and makes no judgements. It has a bawdy yet charming tone which means that the abundance of rude jokes, profanity and gay sex never comes off as leery or inappropriate. If you want to laugh, or you want to see sex and love portrayed realistically on screen, or even if you want to see Jim Carrey make that grand proclamation, then see this film. It may not have done big business at the box office, but it deserves a cult following. See it and come away smiling.