The Majestic (2001)

(In theaters, December 2001) After such films as The Truman Show and Man On The Moon, Jim Carrey doesn’t have to prove himself as a dramatic actor. Still, he’s fine in The Majestic, competently portraying the young professional protagonist. The film itself isn’t bad at all, mixing a strong love of cinema with classic themes of love, community and redemption. But the filmmakers are a bit too deliberate, and the sugar-pumped result looks a bit too fake to be entirely pleasant. It doesn’t help that the film is overly long, almost as if it really wanted to make sure that we got the message and correctly filled out the Academy Awards ballot. Cinephiles will like the film a touch more than casual viewers, given The Majestic‘s obvious love of the medium. (On the other hand, how can it be a true cinephile’s film if Bruce Campbell doesn’t get nearly enough screen time?) In many ways, The Majestic looks like a derivative of director Darabont’s previous The Green Mile, another good, but long-and-preachy film engineered to move audiences. Maybe I’m too sophisticated/jaded to bite at that stuff anymore, but if I liked The Majestic, I’m not totally ready to back it up enthusiastically. It’ll deservedly do great business on video.