Jim Carrey: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. Steven Jay Russell - I Love You Phillip Morris

I-Love-You-Phillip-Morris_4370_7 A film about Jim Carrey playing Ewan McGregor's gay lover could easily have been a queer comedy that aimed for low laughs, but I Love You Phillip Morris is an oddly sweet, dark and thoroughly entertaining black comedy that delivers easily one of Carrey's very best performances. Playing unflappable con man Steven Jay Russell, Carrey gets to make use of both his manic madcap persona as well as his lesser-seen dark side; we get to see him professing a very real love for Phillip, whether that's from a tender kiss or through his zany schemes to keep in contact with him. Though the gay angle is played for a few laughs, Carrey more importantly cements the genuine nature of the romance, and though it might be fitted with an unconventional coating (to mainstream audiences), it is one that Carrey is perfectly capable of pulling off.
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.