# 9 - The Truman Show

**Part of an ongoing series of reviews of my top ten favorite movies**


The Truman Show is by far one of my favorite movies, and for a number of reasons. I believe it to be one of the most clever and brilliant movies made in recent memory; the sheer number of clever moments, some obvious and some requiring multiple viewings, are staggering. Jim Carrey is at his finest here, mixing both the serious and his completely unique brand of humor for a terrific and highly entertaining performance. This is a film that is both highly entertaining, funny, serious and thought-provoking at the same time, which is a combination things that most movies can rarely pull off with good results. This movie not only combines them effectively, it combines them perfectly, with amazing results.

First off, Jim Carrey really gives a stellar performance here; funny and serious in the way that only he can do. There are some laugh out loud moments, as well as many more subtle and clever moments of humor, and also some very emotional and poignant moments. The rest of the cast, particularly Ed Harris, all give terrific performances. Excellent job on all parts of the cast.

The big draw for me here is simply the writing. There's no special effects, no amazing or unorthodox camera shots, no ultra-violence or anything shocking. The real strength is simply the brilliant writing. When viewed several times, little things start to become more obvious to the viewer, to reflect how Truman is slowly becoming more aware of the circumstances of his life. I oftentimes find myself watching the background action of scenes to see whats going on, and there's some interesting things that happen if close attention is payed.

The music is superb and completely fits the feel of the film; quirky but also complementing the feel of the scene at hand. Two thumbs up for the score.

In summary, this is a clever, witty, funny and moving film, and by far the best movie Jim Carrey has ever acted in, and certainly one of the (if not his) best acting jobs he's done. I've watched this movie countless times (I can quote 90% of the dialogue) and every single time I notice something I didn't notice before, and every time I enjoy it just as much as the last time, if not more. A stellar cast, a brilliant script and excellent score make this #9 on my Top Ten movies list.