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In many societies the homosexual lifestyle is not accepted. Even in the land of the free and the brave the freedom isn’t at the level some would want it to be. In Hollywood being gay is still taboo and actors that choose gay roles have to be extremely careful. Face the facts, a gay role could end your career or limit your growth. Things could be changing though. The only actors that get away with this are the huge ones. I didn’t know what to expect in Jim Carrey’s new movie but a homosexual role was the furthest thing from my mind. I mean he is always the funny guy, maybe too funny. In some of his prior movies he was so funny, more like stupid, it made me not interested in his work. The movie I love you Phillip Morris has just the right comedy and more drama, the right blend for a good film. The movie was adapted from Steve McVicker’s book I love you Phillip Morris.

This film may resonate with people. Because it shows a struggling gay man that plays along with the expectations that society has set for him. He got married, was a police officer and a father – the perfect story. The film depicts him to be a real family man, a Christian and a professional on the job. Steven Russell played by Jim Carrey has a troubled life in some way. His mom put him up for adoption and although he forgave her, she never accepted him when he traced her. Because of this Steven Russell has always pledged to make the right decisions. After meeting in an accident and already cheating on his wife with other men he decided to come clean about his lifestyle. I disagreed with the film for not exploring the emotions the wife must have had hearing all of this and being married for some years. Hardly any gay man has the courage to be open about his orientation and when one tells his wife of all the people that they are gay, there must be some struggle and tension there – a child was also involved. The movie chronicles a smooth transition and shows Steven Russell dating men. The same scenes and emotions you would see with any heterosexual couple in any movie, those images are projected and acted with ease.

There is something interesting about Steven Russell though. And that is he lives a lie. Everything he is, everything he does he fakes but whoever he is committed to -that is real. There was something genuine about the way he loved his partners. In retrospect Steven Russell never at one point cheated on the men he dated but he always cheated on his wife. In the beginning as well, he tells of the big lie that he is living. However, he aspires to be this person he isn’t. He wants to lead a successful life although he has no education. He wants to provide the best for his partner and he goes about doing this just like Jim Carrey can. His characters are known for their creativity and great sense of humor. His first job leaving his wife is the CFO of a company. In the movie he lied about everything to get the job down to his references which he personified. Time caught up with him and his unethical actions  and he is thrown in prison. While behind bars he meets his second boyfriend Phillip Morris who shows him love. The movie in a unique way shows the dealings that goes on in lockups. In Jamaica, a prisoner called a program from his cell. While we didn’t see that happening in the movie, it showed how open prisons are. We think it they are sealed off and are private but they are ways to get around to doing illegal activities. With Steven Russell’s antics in prison he is transfered to another location but vows to return to release his true love Phillip Morris.

The movie goes back and forth with Steven Russell and Phillip Morris being released and locked up. After four times the drama ends with a great story. Of course there’s no gay movie without HIV/AIDS. Steven Russell contracts the deadly disease. The movie uses the disease as comedy not poking fun at the disease but Russell uses it to get out of prison. The movie ends with the bad guy doing his time. If this were fiction then you could criticize it more but I respect Carrey for using his talent to tell this true story. You may not see it in a cinema near you but this surely will be out on DVD. The cinematography is good. The acting is on point. These are not failed jokes with no punch lines, you hardly miss the jokes. The saddest part of this movie is Russell contracting AIDS, not even him going to prison. The ending for films with this theme is very cliche. There is never a good ending.