Richard J. Moir selects his Five Essential Jim Carrey Films…
5. The Mask (1994, dir. Chuck Russell)
The Mask is a perfect example of Jim Carrey’s slapstick comedy. The way his body moves and bends in this ’94 classic showed what he was capable of. While transformed as the Mask, Carrey had lots of room to do his thing, and while just as regular everyday Stanley Ipkiss, showed true acting potential.
4. Dumb and Dumber (1994, dir. Peter and Bobby Farrelly)
One of the classic comedys from the nineties, with Carrey in his early days showing us a glimpse of his potential to be a hit comedy actor. This film is full of sight gags, witty lines and great performances from Carrey and Daniels.
3. Man on the Moon (1999, dir. Milos Forman)
A lot of people see Jim Carrey as an over the top actor, bizarre and crazy. But despite what these people say about him, he does it brilliantly. Man on the Moon doesn’t just highlight his typical but brilliant acting style, it shows that he can change at the flick of a switch, from an eccentric avant-garde “comedian”, to a bad-ass wrestler and then to a man who we can’t help but feel the deepest sympathy for. Kaufman was never understood and it shows why throughout this film, with such crazy antics as the opening credit sequence, wrestling women and purposely creating characters to loathe. Danny DeVito is great in his role, as is Giamatti but it’s Carrey that steals the show.
2. The Truman Show (1998, dir. Peter Weir)
A very clever, original and thought provoking film which sees Jim Carrey play Truman Burbank, a man who doesn’t know he’s the star of a reality TV show. While the film is clever, advertising products, making real-life with actors etc, Jim Carrey shines as the “star”, who soon works everything out. Jim Carrey shows he can do serious acting, but it doesn’t quite top the number one spot.
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004, dir. Michel Gondry)
One of those movies that you really have to stay with or you’ll be lost throughout the rest of the film. Jim Carrey takes on a serious role in this gem, while Kate Winslet almost takes his place as a zany, “out there” woman, trying to win his heart. A brilliant cast brought together by a brilliant script and director Michel Gondry. The film is very original, and that may be an understatement, as it sees Joel (Carrey) re-living moments he shared with Clementine (Winslet) while also erasing them from his memory. The story is brilliant, the cast chemistry superb, which makes a great original film. While Jim Carrey is seen as a over-the-top comedic actor, ESofSM shows he has great talent in any genre. A wonderful performance and his best film to date.
Honourable Mentions…
Liar Liar (1997, dir. Tom Shadyac)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994, dir. Tom Shadyac)
Me Myself and Irene (2000, dir. Peter and Bobby Farrelly)
Jim Carrey Workout Video…
Agree? Disagree? We’d love to hear your comments on the list…
Richard J. Moir
Essentials Archive
Originally published July 24, 2009. Updated April 13, 2018.
