Just one word to change your whole life

MOVIE REVIEW

Yes Man

Certification: PG

Cast: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Rhys Darby, Bradley Cooper, Danny Masterson, John Michael Higgins, Terrence Stamp

Director: Peyton Reed

Genre: Comedy, Romance

TIRED of the rat race? Need a change in perspective? Want to get off your complacency and try new things? Watch this movie and it may just inspire you to be more adventurous in life.

After the fumble that is 'The Number 23,' Carrey returns to what he knows best, physical comedy. Though 'Yes Man' will not alleviate his status any further, it does exceptionally well as a comedy.

Carl Ellen (Jim Carrey) works as a loan officer in a bank and is still suffering from his divorce from three years ago. Because of that he has no will to get out of the comfort of his living room, nor his daily routine. So much so that he deliberately misses his best friend Peter's (Bradley Cooper) engagement party.

Realising what he is turning his life into, and getting more than a nudge from a long lost friend Nick (John Michael Higgins), Carl decides to attend a self-help seminar conducted by a motivational guru, Terrence Bundley (Terence Stamp).

At the end of it, he leaves the hall with a covenant that he must say 'yes' to every opportunity that presents itself to him. Give rides to the homeless? Yes! Empty your wallet to them? Yes! Pick up the guitar? Yes! Learn a foreign language? Yes! Bungee jumping? Yes!

And the best thing that happens to him is his chance encounter with free-spirited Allison (Zooey Deschanel). Of course Carl doesn't reveal to her his new or old way of life and consequently he appears just as free-spirited, so the two connects almost right away.

And what follows is nothing new to its genre, the accidental revelation followed by the break-up and the make-up; where Allison finds out his secret and disapproves of him, and then it's up to Carl to win her back - but not before bringing all the fun and laughter.

It's safe to say that Carrey is at his most comfortable when he plays the lovable loser. And we are all familiar with his quirkiness, way back since Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, so it's really up to the script to make a Carrey movie shine.

And this movie does get livelier than when it begin, with Carl opening up little by little with each new activity that he cannot say no to. This movie also introduces 'The Flight Of The Conchords' hilarious Rhys Darby on the big screen for the first time, playing Carl's nerdy boss, Norman, who's always trying to become buddies with Carl and never fails to deliver the punch lines.

Zooey Deschanel as Carl's off-beat love interest becomes very adorable here with even more quirkiness like organising photography-while-jogging classes or singing in a band to badly written lyrics. Bringing more of laughter is veteran Terrence Stamp as the over-zealous and self-help guru; but 'That 70's Shows' Danny Masterson as Carl's other friend is devoid of personality here and is sadly a waste of talent.



Jim Carrey in 'Yes Man' is not as outrageous as he used to be and it's really a nice change. Rather than letting Carrey loose and going for the dumb and dumber, a little more restrain from a little more control can go a long way. 'Remember Fun With Dick And Jane'? I don't either.

The message the movie carries is clear. It will do everyone some good by saying "yes" to life a little more often.

Reviewer's Rating: 7 / 10

The Brunei Times