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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 35.71%
Worth A Look: 52.14%
Just Average: 8.57%
Pretty Crappy: 2.14%
Sucks: 1.43%
11 reviews, 74 user ratings
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Man on the Moon |
by Vibeseeker
"Carrey is jaw droppingly brilliant."

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Andy Kaufman: mad man or genius? Man-child or schizophrenic? As an icon of the subversive, Kaufman gained his reputation through his stints on Saturday Night Live, his role as the quirky Latka on the TV series Taxi, and from his confrontational live shows. Man On The Moon portrays his life story, and under the direction of the great Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, The People Vs Larry Flynt), it offers an exciting premise. The highlights of his career are all here - inter gender wrestling, his abrasive alter ego Tony Clifton, Taxi (with the original cast), and the infamous "Great Gatsby" live show - and played to great comic effect.But the undoubted pivot to the film is Jim Carrey. Leaving his screwball persona behind, as he did in The Truman Show, Carrey proves he can play the quasi-comedic role to perfection. His delivery of the full Kaufman routine is uncanny and haunting. Taxi co-star Danny DeVito, starring as manager George Shapiro, is an ironic delight, which is more than can be said for Courtney Love. Reunited with her People Vs Larry Flynt director, Love is somewhat lacklustre as Kaufman's girlfriend Lynne Margulies, rarely exerting an onscreen presence beyond that of an extra's. In her defence, though, the role is decidedly half-baked.
The script, written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski of The People Vs. Larry Flynt fame, retells the life of Kaufman comprehensively. Yet ultimately that's the problem with the film. It simply just tells a story, rather than probing under the skin and getting to grips with this fascinating character.Andy Kaufman already has a song by REM (who also supply the film's music) celebrating him, and with the film that carries the same title, his immortalisation is complete. Though engaging viewing, it's a shame that Man On The Moon will be remembered as a competent documentary devoid of any real insight, leaving Kaufman the eternal enigma. ---David Michael
link directly to this review at https://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com/review.php?movie=804&reviewer=251 originally posted: 02/15/00 02:47:25
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USA 22-Dec-1999 (R)
UK N/A
Australia 17-Feb-2000
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