Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell, a man whose life changes course after a car accident forces him to accept who he really is. He is gay, and he decides to live that truth out loud, even if it means breaking the law to do it. The film follows him through a wild, improbable career of cons and frauds, from his days as a police officer in Virginia Beach to his time in prison, where he meets Phillip Morris, the man he loves.
Trailer, via hollywoodstreams.
The Setup
Steven starts as a church organ player, a husband to Debbie, and a member of the local police force. His discovery comes after a car crash following a homosexual tryst, and he drops everything to live as his true self. He moves to Miami, takes on a boyfriend named Jimmy, and adopts a lavish lifestyle funded by his new trade as a con man.
The film opens with Steven on his deathbed, recalling his life. He tells us about his search for his biological mother, who rejected him when he found her. He quits the police force, works for Sysco, and then crashes his car. The accident pushes him toward a new path, one that leads him into a world of fraud and deception.
The Escape Artist
In prison, Steven falls in love with Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor. After Phillip is released, Steven escapes four times to be with him. Each escape is cleverly engineered, and each one fails. He poses as a lawyer to help free Phillip, and later he gains a position as Chief Financial Officer of a large medical management company called USAMM, where he embezzles money.
“The Conman who wouldn’t go straight.”
That tagline sums up the whole picture. Steven Russell is a man who refuses to stop. He keeps escaping, keeps conning, and keeps loving Phillip Morris, even when the cost is everything.
The Performances
Carrey carries the film. He plays a man who is both charming and dangerous, funny and sad. The film leans on his physical comedy, but it also asks for a quieter, more tender performance, and Carrey delivers it. McGregor plays Phillip as soft-spoken and gentle, the opposite of Steven, and their scenes together are the heart of the picture.
The supporting cast includes Leslie Mann as Debbie, Rodrigo Santoro as Jimmy, Antoni Corone as Lindholm, Brennan Brown as Larry Bukheim, Michael Mandell as Cleavon, Annie Golden as Eudora, Marylouise Burke as Barbara Bascombe, David Jensen as Judge, Dameon Clarke as Houston Lawyer, and Clay Chamberlin as Arnie. Phillip Morris himself appears as Steven’s lawyer in the final court scene, an uncredited cameo.
The Critical Reception
The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009, and was released in the United States on December 3, 2010 by LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions. It also played at the Director’s Fortnight of the 62nd Cannes Film Festival in France. It grossed $20 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, with Carrey’s performance singled out for praise.
For its subject matter, the film won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release at the 22nd GLAAD Media Awards. It was also nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay to Requa and Ficarra.
The Verdict
“I Love You Phillip Morris” is a strange mix. It is a comedy, a crime drama, and a romance, all wrapped in a story about a man who will not stop running. Carrey’s performance anchors it, and the central relationship between Steven and Phillip is tender enough to carry the film’s lighter moments. But the movie is also built on a series of absurdities, and some of those stretches test the patience of even the most generous viewer.
The film drags in parts, and its structure, which jumps between Steven’s memories and his present-day deathbed, can feel uneven. Some of the cons are explained poorly, and the audience is left to guess how Steven pulled them off rather than shown. The ending, which reveals that Steven’s escape attempts were not as clever as they seemed, feels rushed rather than earned.
Still, there is a genuine sweetness to the story of two men who will not let distance tear them apart. The film is at its best when it stops trying to be a caper and simply lets Steven and Phillip talk, or when it shows the lengths Steven will go to be near the man he loves.
“I Love You Phillip Morris” is a flawed but memorable picture, a film that tries to say something about love and identity while wearing a mask of comedy and crime. It is not a great film, but it is a good one, carried by a strong lead performance and a central relationship that earns its place.
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