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The Truman Show

The Truman Show

List Price: $14.99
Your Price: $11.24
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Ultimate Reality Show.
Review: Given America's disturbing obsession with reality television, a movie like 1998's "The Truman Show" couldn't be more relevant. How far, the film asks, will TV producers go to boost ratings? And at what expense? Where's the line between a clever idea and crass opportunism? Jim Carrey is the title character, who, unbeknownst to him, is living the ultimate reality show. Cameras are watching and monitoring his every move for the world to see. The environment in which he lives is 100% fake, right down to his love (Laura Linney) and the sky that stares down at him. Unlike other reality shows, the subject doesn't know he's being filmed. Does he ever find out and how? This smart movie won the attention of many critics, enjoyed some box office success, but was snubbed at many award shows, which were apparently too busy oohing and aahing over a little war movie filmed by Steven Speilberg (hint: the title includes the word "Ryan"). But it's definitely one of Carrey's best films and it proves that he can do much more than stretch his lanky frame in 1,000 different ways.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good Afternoon, Good Evening and GOODNIGHT!
Review: I was totaly blown away with this movie, i just saw it and now i am surprised at all the bad reviewes it is getting here. This movie is about a man who lives inside a fake world where everybody, everplace, and everything is fake. and about his getting wise and escaping. It is NOT a comedy, but does have funny parts and i would reccomend it to everybody who wants a good movie to watch.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Jim Carrey Rules!!!
Review: This is one of the best, most original movies I have ever seen. The movie is about a man (Jim Carrey) who is the main star of a TV show that he doesn't even know he's on. Taken from an unwanted pregnacy, starting from even before birth, he's been on this show, rightfully called The Truman Show. Eventually he starts noticing things that are a little weird, and finally figures out that there is something going on and he's the only one that isn't in on it. Watch to see what happens, you won't regret it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Depressing...
Review: THE TRUMAN SHOW is perhaps one of the most depressing comedies ever made. Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy it and had a few larfs here and there. But the idea of a man spending 30 years of his life in a make-believe world which exists only to entertain television viewers is in itself depressing. Although Truman Burbank (predictably)ends up leaving the TV world and enters the real world at the end (and is presumably happy), the ending is less than inspiring. No amount of triumphant violin music at the end can change the fact that Truman wasted most of his life, if you can call it that. So see this tear-jerker disguised as a heart-warming comedy. But Carrey fans, beware. This is this most understated performances yet. No rubber-face antics here. He almost (gasp) plays it straight. Of course, Ed Harris is great in this one even though he has less than 15 minutes total screen time. Considering how popular this movie is, I'm surprised they haven't made a special edition DVD yet! This is what Bruce Almighty aspired to be. Cerebral yet funny. Touching yet poignant. Let's see a special edition DVD!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: another Carrey movies (maybe one of the best ?
Review: In truth, I have got very, very mixed feelings about this movie. I perceive it mostly as sad. I would not say that it is great entertainment; it's definitely not a movie to watch if you want to enjoy a good time and to feel better. Instead this "psychological" movie seems to be raising questions about individual Freedom and Privacy in our so-called "modern, Western, democratic" societies. Of course this is an important subject, and above all, this is a deep philosophical matter which needs to be constantly debated, because individual freedom can be endangered in many many ways . Naturally, very few things are more important than a person's freedom - and nothing is more precious than happiness I believe. So this movie, well in line with the Big Bother syndromes, raises important questions but does not try to give even the beginning of an answer or of a reason. The real problem however is : what do you believe in ? Do you believe in mankind ? Do you trust yourself ?? Do you trust your neighbour ? How much self-esteem do you have ? How much esteem do you need to feel happy ? How much love do you need to receive and to give to be happy ?? Unfortnately this movie does not provide any clues; it is just describing an absurd life, led by a guy who is a real prisoner inside a sort of virtual nightmare, cornered in a squarely strange bubble. What is very disturbing in this movie is the fact that somebody else decided that this person should be in this place without his consent and even without his knowledge, based on some dubious ethical grounds (here also the movie does not go far in providing clues). In essence it is describing a subtle and dangerous form of euthanasia , the euthanasia of freedom !! So is this movie a call to fight such threats to our freedom, or is it just a cold description or something that may happen, or has happened, or happens sometimes ? That is very disturbing indeed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: take me to Fiji
Review: For me, to really like a movie, a book, or anything like that I have to relate to a character and his experiences. Well, I perfectly related to Truman, even though I do not live my life on a television show. Do I? Anyway, Truman Burbank could be any of us. He's just the average Joe on the street, but he feels mysteriously isolated, so he goes off, on what could be considered a mid-life crisis, and searches for the truth of his existence. I mean, if we can't relate to isolation and curiosity about existence then maybe we could related his daily goings, or we could go out more. I know that Truman's world is made up of cameras and lights, unbeknownst to Truman, but even though he is living on a man made TV set, his life is just that common journey of trying to find out who we really are on the inside. Like I said, I completely related, I'm on my own personal soul search, and due to that connection I loved it. Oh and did I mention that it just really is a great movie.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not very good at all.
Review: The Truman Show is not the masterpiece that many people have been hailing it as. Its script makes several severe blunders, effectively destroying what could have been an excellent story and screenplay; instead of dropping hints as if they were lead bricks, Weir could have gone the exact opposite way, assuring us that Burbank's state of reality was truthful, and save the punchline for the very end of the film, thereby making its various themes much more effective and the sense of liberation much more complete.

To me, it was aggravating to watch this film, because as a writer, I felt the constant need to rewrite it in my own head. Yes, the film is about questioning your reality, but by that same definition, Total Recall is about questioning your reality. If I am supposed to question my own reality because I watched Arnold Schwarzenegger fumble around with a bad screenplay, then why aren't fans across the world hailing The Phantom Menace as "the search for retribution in an unfair world"? Saying that The Truman Show's theme is "searching for truth" is about as helpful as describing Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo as "this one crazy dude seeks for revenge," or, to quote Harlan Ellison, describing Melville's Moby Dick as "a one-legged madman's hunt for the unattainable."

Many of history's best films and novels simply cannot be encapsulated into a single sentence; for example, Taxi Driver, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Conversation. If one were to take The Truman Show's theme seriously, then it does stand on somewhat shaky philosophical ground, because it doesn't really go in one direction or the other. Near the end of the film, it briefly explores the possibility that "reality," as people know it and perceive it, does not actually exist except to individuals and not to society as a whole, but it also seems to lead up to the conclusion that perhaps reality exists as a social autonomy, a collective that humanity is in the midst of. Some might consider this an interesting contrast/compare between the two ideas, and up to a certain point they would be correct. However, with the continuous looped rhythmic music and simple piano melodies playing in the background of the melodrama, to search much further beneath the glossy surface doesn't seem to lead much of anywhere.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Truman Show
Review: The Truman Show is an exceptional movie that shows that Jim Carrey can do drama movies. It is about Truman Burbank (Carrey), a man who lives an ordinary life, or so he thinks. In real life, visionary director Christof (Ed Harris) has controlled Truman's life by putting him in a world of actors and a fake town since before he could remember. What's more, 'The Truman Show' is on 24 hours a day, and it's the only thing people watch. He thinks life is normal until a lady named 'Sylvia' (Natasha McElhone) makes him realize that he's living a lie. Laura Linney is funny as Truman's phony, advertising-obsessed wife Meryl, and Noah Emmerich shows great sympathy at some points as Truman's best friend Marlon. If you look close you can spot Paul Giamatti (Planet of the Apes, Big Fat Liar) as a technician, and Harry Shearer (The Simpsons) in a small role. I was amazed by Jim Carrey's performance A great Jim Carrey movie, I strongly recommend it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Blurrs the line between reality and fiction.
Review: Truman is a thirty year old man whose life is a long running TV show. Truman was an orphan who was selected to be the "star" of this show. Everyone in Truman's life are portrayed by actors. Jim Carrey does an excellent job of portraying a man who realizes his life is not what it seams to be. Truman meats a girl, who is also an actress, that wants to free him from this show. When she tries to tell him the truth she is removed from the show. Throughout the movie Truman shows his infatuation with this girl.

The Truman show demonstrates how Hollywood blurrs the line between fiction and reality and how far they are willing to go to manipulate people. The Truman show is the extreme form of reality show that entrapts unsuspecting people, in this case Truman. The Truman Show demonstrates that Hollywood will go as far as its audience will let them. The reality shows today illustrate how far people are willing to be embarssed and humilated. I had an instructor that says these reality shows appeal to the lowest level of intellegence. The Truman show demonstrates that people have a hard time distinguishing between reality and fantasy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: sadly underrated and misunderstood
Review: Anyone who thinks this is merely a movie about a guy in a reality TV show who one day figures out its all a big lie - will be pleasantly surprised.

Carrey plays Truman Burbank, a man who's unknowingly growing up in a perfect town that's really a huge TV set in a reality TV series called 'The Truman Show'.

To maintain the ongoing viewership of this reality show, its producer Cristoff (Harris) utilises control elements (actors, special effects) to condition Truman to lead his life around established parameters that form the general TV plot.

For example, Truman's true love (Natascha McElhone i think) is purposefully edged out of his life by her 'father' (you can't see her anymore, she's going to Fiji) and Truman's eventual wife (Linney), when McElhone's character decides to tell Truman the truth about his role in the reality show.

And when Truman expresses a desire to go to Fiji to find his love, his 'best friend' tells him there is no need to venture beyond their shores, that everything is so perfect the way it is, and that they can enjoy perfect sunsets every single day... why ask for more, why go to Fiji?

And when Truman shows early signs of adventure and decides to go sailing, Cristoff cooks up a storm at 'sea' and drowns his 'father' in an attempt to snuff out his quest for adventure.

But you just can't keep a good man down. Eventually, the human spirit triumphs, despite all the negativity, assumptions and established parameters we face everyday and know as 'Life'.

Ironically, the millions of viewers who have grown up with Truman and seen his highs and lows on reality TV, cry and cheer for Truman when he eventually triumphs and leaves the movie set. He leaves everything that is perfect but empty behind, and steps into the big black unknown alone, but full of hope and expectancy. The finale will get you crying and cheering along with the movie's TV audience.

Quite simply, The Truman Show is about
- questioning assumptions and what is seemingly the truth
- how everyone loves a hero but doesn't dare to be one themselves
- how fulfilling dreams take courage and faith in the face of negativity and adversity
- asking yourself what you can change in your life

Peter Weir ties together these life lessons without being overly didactic - which is why many people miss the point of this movie.

The Truman Show is certainly an underrated, misunderstood movie that has been intelligently and poignantly delivered. Go see it today.


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