Mark Charpentier, Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly, Linda Fields, Marc S. Fischer, Clem Franek, Patrick Healy, Kris Meyer, James B. Rogers, Tom Schulman, Bradley Thomas, Charles B. Wessler
Screenplay:
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Cameraman:
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Composer:
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Cast:
Jim Carrey (as Charlie Baileygates / Hank Evans), Renee Zellweger (as Irene P. Waters), Anthony Anderson (as Jamaal), Mongo Brownlee (as Lee Harvey),...
If you had to compare "Me, Myself & Irene" with "There's Something About Mary" or even "Dumb & Dumber", you could draw up several analogies...like the classic David and Goliath for example. Or maybe comparing Haley Joel Osment to Michael Clarke Duncan. Using a film analogy, you could say "Battlefield Earth" vs. "Citizen Kane"...it's just that bad.
Well, maybe I'm exaggerating just a tad. But I, personally, am such a big fan of "Dumber" and "Mary" that I almost cringed at what the Farrelly brothers came up with this time. Instead of beating around the bush, let me just put it bluntly: It just wasn't as funny.
During the sluggish opening sequence, Charlie is introduced as a Rhode Island police officer. The story begins 18 years ago when Charlie and his newlywed wife Layla vow that nothing will ever come between them. Things become interesting, however, when Layla falls in love with a black midget. She becomes pregnant and has three kids, all of which Charlie tries his hardest to deny his wife being unfaithful. Several years later, Layla leaves with the midget and all Charlie can do is stand and watch.
As the kids grow up, Charlie remains to be their dad despite the truth. At the same time, the entire town treats Charlie like dirt knowing what happened to him. He becomes, essentially, the kid everybody picks on. But it isn't until the present when all of Charlie's rage suddenly snaps, and in almost an instant, develops his tough acting, alter-ego, Hank. This "snap" is conveniently timed with the arrival of Irene, a beautiful woman from upstate New York who finds herself in some trouble.
Even from here, the movie does not get much better. There are a few laughable sequences but those moments are rare and far apart. Even so, one might be thinking to themself "You know, I like this part.....the first time I saw it in their other movies." It's all seems like left-over potty humor from the Farrelly brothers' other movies.
That isn't to say that their style of humor is boring or sickening. They're disgusting humor is outrageously funny. But the one thing that "My, Myself & Irene" lacks is cohesion. Their jokes in this film seem to be tacked on at various intervals just to keep the audience interested. The entire movie is unfocused and leaves the viewer wondering if it was supposed to be a comedy or a cheesy love story.
The high point of the movie, believe it or not, goes to not Jim Carrey the star but rather Anthony Anderson, Mongo Brownlee, and Jerod Mixon who play the three black sons of Charlie. Never a dull moment with them, their uproarous performance saves the film where Jim Carrey leaves off.
"Me, Myself & Irene" is no doubt a Jim Carrey film. It's exactly what he needs after his two year stint of trying to do roles which would lend him an Oscar. But everything surrounding him in this film collapses and it just brings him down with the film's failure. Funniest film of the summer? Hardly...wait for "Scary Movie". Or perhaps you'd want to pitch in your bucks for "Shanghai Noon" or another round of "Road Trip". Either way, you won't be missing out...
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