Alrighty, then! That’s enough stretching for rubber-faced comic Jim Carrey.
The erstwhile “Ace Ventura” sets aside his Serious Work for “Yes Man,” a kissing cousin to “Liar, Liar,” another gimmick comedy which forced Carrey’s character to do things he didn’t want to do.
Naturally, laughter ensues. Just not as much as you’d think.
Carrey plays Carl, a recently divorced man who prefers to hunker down in his home watching movies rather than reaching out to his friends.
His life changes when he’s coaxed into attending a self-help seminar run by the guru of “Yes,” played by Terence Stamp. All Carl has to do is say “yes” to every opportunity that comes his way, he’s told in a funny sequence which uncomfortably pairs Carrey with Stamp, and his life will improve immeasurably.
A few minutes later, he meets cute with a local singer (Zooey Deschanel). Yes, indeed.
But saying “yes” all the time comes with a price. Carrey’s character gets thrust into a series of comic set pieces which have little bearing to the actual story.
“Yes Man” is a true comedian’s vehicle. It’s a mediocre story, to be kind, one that only thrives thanks to Carrey’s endless reservoir of comic energy. He fuses laughs onto scenes that don’t earn them otherwise. There is a price to be paid for the laughter. As the film trudges on we see less and less of Carl and more of Jim Carrey, Movie Star.
Take that as an invitation or a warning.
And forgive me for saying this at a time when Jack Nicholson routinely woos women on screen a fraction of his age, but Carrey looks a bit long in the tooth to be pursuing the 20-something Deschanel. I’m just saying.
“Yes Man” offers a some solid laughs, and it’s not hard to fall in love with the delightful Deschanel in any setting. But it’s hardly the comic platform to restore Carrey’s place as the country’s top film comedian.
(Photo: Jim Carrey finds his life turned upside down in “Yes Man.”)
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