I wasn't sure what to think about the movie's concept. A guy whose every move is recorded on film, broadcasted to millions around the world, unbeknownst to him. I heard that it was a drama, but I couldn't see how. It seemed like a satire, especially with Carrey in the lead. It DOES have it's comedic moments, and in the early parts of the film, Jim Carrey does his usual shtick (though it's toned down a bit), but all in all, it IS a drama. And a really good one.
Carrey does a great job of having you sympathize with "Truman." It's an extremely sad story, and that side of it is touched on, but I think it shoulda been explored more.
The supporting roles were very well-done, especially by Ed Harris and Paul Giamatti (remember "Pig Vomit" in "Private Parts"?). Giamatti really got to me at one point where Ed Harris' character tells him to do something and he refuses. I know it's vague, but it's a tiny moment where Giamatti refuses, and the expression on his face is priceless. His emotion was totally there. The last actor I saw do that was Don Cheadle in "Boogie Nights," when a doughnut shop gets robbed. These guys truly are some of the best actors alive.
"The Truman Show" was directed by Peter Weir, who last directed a comedian in a drama with Robin Williams in "Dead Poets Society." He's a director who obviously knows what he's doing, and can make even the most manic comedian practice some restraint, and put a different kind of talent out for the world to see. It was written by Andrew Niccol, who last wrote "Gattaca" (a movie I never saw). He seems to write some high-concept stuff, and "The Truman Show" is a successful one.
I've heard
that "The Truman Show" was gonna be the next "Forrest Gump." Uh-uh. Not
gonna happen. But that's okay. This was a really good movie that's gonna
make a lotta people smile.