Jim Carrey, Renee Zellwegger, Chris Cooper, Jerod
Mixon, Anthony Anderson, Tony Cox, and Robert Forster
Charlie/Hank, Irene, Joe Sarrasin, ?
Fans of the Farrelly Brothers won't be disappointed
with ME, MYSELF AND IRENE, another lowbrow escapade with upscale
aspirations. Reuniting with their maniacal muse, Jim Carrey,
for the first time since DUMB AND DUMBER, the Farrelly's again
exhibit the talent to be great directors, but not the courage
to leave behind the lowest-common-denominator hokiness. Anyone
who is not a fan will leave shaking their heads, wondering about
what ME, MYSELF AND IRENE could have been had the creators
reached artistically higher.
Instead, ME, MYSELF AND IRENE is a catalog of
gross-out jokes. They range from the scatalogical to the pseudo-sexual,
showcasing the Farrelly's trademark blend of idiocy and tastelessness.
There's a wide assortment of racist, sexist, and homophobic jokes,
too, allowing those in the audience who like jokes about 'whitey',
lesbians who look like men, and women with big breasts to air
those feelings safe from mature society's disapproval.
To be fair, some of it is funny; the Farrellys do have
a few original tricks up their sleeve this time, including a great
opening sequence showing the evolution of Carrey's three Mensa-membered,
African-American sons. (Don't ask.) But most of the film is a
tired retread of jokes you've seen before. Very little surprises,
and even less sparks the imagination. ME, MYSELF AND IRENE
is a stand-up comedy act that has gotten way out of hand.
Charlie (Carrey) is a nice, unassuming officer in the
Rhode Island Police Force whose beautiful wife left him for another
man 18 years ago. The rage he has bottled up since then explodes
one day in the form of Hank, a violent, dirty-minded alter ego
whose rampages create most of the destruction throughout the film.
He is diagnosed as a schizophrenic (which, by the way, is a medically
unsound diagnosis). His boss (Robert Forster) decides that Charlie
needs a vacation, and sends him off to carry a beautiful prisoner,
Irene (Renee Zellwegger), back to New York State where she has
an outstanding warrant. Once there, however, Charlie/Hank gets
messed up in a diabolical attempt to kill Irene by her former
boyfriend and his henchman (played by the colossally wasted Chris
Cooper). Can Charlie -- and Hank -- both save her, even as they
both fall in love with her? Those who are truly wondering how
this will end up are probably just dim enough to be the perfect
audience for ME, MYSELF AND IRENE.
Jim Carrey, returning to shtick comedy after a brief
run at respectability in MAN ON THE MOON and THE TRUMAN SHOW,
is Hollywood's preeminent farceur; someday, his work will be mentioned
alongside Milton Berle in the grand, pie-in-the-face tradition.
He brings a number of unexpected joys to this wandering screenplay,
including his signature facial contortions (from cottonmouth)
and sharp timing (switching in a second between his two characters).
It's not entirely untrue to credit Carrey with making the Farrellys
famous; without him, this film would be a direct-to-video clunker.
Talented veterans make up most of the ensemble, but
all of them are off their usual game. Renee Zellwegger, who so
winningly played the put-upon girlfriend in JERRY MAGUIRE, seems
cranky and pained throughout ME, MYSELF AND IRENE. When
Charlie says to Irene that he finds her attractive because "your
face is always drawn up like a little sour lemon", you know
exactly what he's talking about...but it's not attractive. Robert
Forster (JACKIE BROWN) and Chris Cooper (AMERICAN BEAUTY) are
cast in throwaway roles beneath their ability. The best performances,
oddly enough, are from the film's best running joke -- Charlie's
sons, played with style by Jerod Mixon, Anthony Anderson, and
Tony Cox.
Truth is, anyone reading this review already knows
whether they would enjoy ME, MYSELF AND IRENE -- there
are no surprises, no unexpected deviations from the course. If
you enjoy their other work, welcome to the latest installment.
Me, I'd like to see what these boys are REALLY capable of when
they actually try hard.
