From Jordan Hoffman’s Guardian review: “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond — The Story of Jim Carrey & Andy Kaufman With a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton is an extremely watchable movie. It isn’t nearly as deep as it thinks it is, but it is marvellously entertaining.

“For a start, we get Carrey, today, speaking to us via interrotron and looking a lot like late-period Jim Morrison. At first, his recollection of his early career is lucid, but when he starts giving rich, psychoanalytical readings of his 90s comedies, and discussing how an artist has to live ‘up here’ at all times, it’s clear that he’s gone a little off the rails. Unless he just wants us to think that…

“The material of him on set is unbelievable. Watch him annoy the hair and makeup people with loud music, watch him crash cars on the lot and trespass into Steven Spielberg’s office. Gaze on with wonder as this pompous and very talented clown refuses to answer to the name Jim. Co-star Danny DeVito thinks it’s funny but Judd Hirsch is just not having it.

“When Kaufman’s foe, wrestler Jerry Lawler, comes to set playing himself, all hell breaks loose. Carrey refuses to break character, and it results in an injury. (Maybe — who knows if any of this is real?) Forman looks exasperated, but Carrey is the star and if this is what Carrey sees as his process, Forman will have to put up with it.

“Carrey looks back on all this as if he’s got some pan-dimensional connection to Kaufman, and his seriousness is incredible. By the end of this documentary Carrey is so in awe at his own acting he suggests he could become anyone and have people believe it – even Jesus Christ.

“[Director] Chris Smith offers no pushback, nor does he interview anyone else who was witness to all this. As such, it’s a Jim Carrey vanity piece, even if the actor comes off as — to quote a studio boss who wanted Carrey to stop filming ” ‘an asshole’. Whether you agree with that assessment will depend on how much you buy what Carrey is selling.”

Hollywood Elsewhere intends to catch tomorrrow’s (Thursday’s) 11:45 am press screening at the Scotiabank.

September 13, 2017by Jeffrey Wells29 Comments