Movie Date: Carl Said Yes! Yes! Yes!
Meet Carl—a simple guy whose life is going in endless circles with “no” being the operative word. He has worked for the same company for the past five years, rented the same movies, evaded the same friends, left the same bar when his ex shows up with her new boyfriend, and offered the same lame excuses much to the frustration of everyone around him.
Until one day, Carl decided to sign up for a self-help program with a very simple pledge: say “yes” to everything. The power of one word begins to change his life for the better. It even paved the way to finding a new love and discovering what he has been missing. However, Carl’s newfound determination to “yes” to everything might just lead him to more trouble than he can handle.
Starring the ever talented Jim Carrey, Yes! Man is one hilarious movie that will leave you with a hangover long after the movie has ended. Yes? YES!
The free-spirited Allison played by Zooey Deschanel
The Good: You really can’t say “yes” to everything. But the fact that having a positive approach in life can make a lot of difference and this was shown in the movie.
When Carl said “yes” and helped a homeless person, he was doing charity work. When he said “yes” and learned Korean, he was embracing a different culture. When he said “yes” and learned how to fly, he was widening his horizons. When he said “yes” and entered Allison’s world, he was starting to learn the things that once bemused him.
The point isn’t about saying “yes” to everything. That’s silly. Carl’s right. You can’t please everybody. The lesson is about jumping in on opportunities. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. It’ll be scary sure, but who knows, maybe it’s worth it.
The Bad: Jim Carrey’s name has become synonymous with hilarious comedy. However, some people find his acting always on the brink of exaggeration. Even if Yes! Man is one laughing trip of a movie, it’s still a Jim Carrey film, so expect the exaggerated facial expressions and body movements, the accidental slips on the floor, and well, almost everything that is Jim Carrey.
It’s a predictable movie. You know, the whole guy-changes-his-fate-meets-a-girl-hurts-her-comes-to-his-senses-and-lives-happily-ever-after kind of movie. It also has the same feel like all Jim Carrey comedy flicks in the past. Nothing new. Same old, same old.
Perhaps the only thing that struck me about Jim Carrey is that he is getting quite old. Physically, okay? The creases on his face are more evident now. And maybe his antics are getting a little bit old too, but hey, he can still make people laugh like crazy, like my friend Alder who was laughing hysterically beside me during the press screening.
The Verdict: I have a love-hate relationship with Jim Carrey. So even if I sometimes find his art exaggerated, that is, after all, his strongest suit. That’s what he is famous for.
Yes! Man is a good movie to watch on a date or when you want to have a good laugh after a crazy day at work. Despite its predictability, at the end of it, it’s quite inspiring.
Is it good?
YES!
Should you see it?
YES!!!
Thanks, Azrael and Warner Bros. for the invite!
