Review
Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) is the most famous man in the world and he doesnt even know it. Raised entirely within a television show which comprises his entire world Truman is an Everyman for the posttelevision age. Trumans world "Seahaven" is an Eisenhowerera model of American bliss recalling the prisonlike Port Meirion and the moral certainty of Bedford Falls (Its a Wonderful Life). Surreptitiously filmed around the clock by 5000 hidden cameras the show exists inside an enormous geodesic dome with simulated weather and even its own ocean. Through a series of production blunders Truman slowly realises that he is being controlled and that perhaps all in his world is not as it seems. His surrogate father by proxy Christof the producerdirector goes from being benevolent social scientist to evil genius as his attempts to frustrate Trumans wanderlust become more and more deadly. Will he escape
The film raises some interesting points about our fascination with life as seen through the magnifying lens of tv and the morality of real lives viewed as so much entertainment. But like most soaps the scenes from "The Truman Show" that appear within the movie are variously dull mawkish and sentimental. At points the film has a problem deciding on whether it is going to be a straight escapechase movie or a philosophical piece about morality and technology. The t.v. shows inherent blandess also lends little to the pace or our sense that there are characters worth caring about.
Carrey is good. This in itself is gratifying and a tribute to a script that walks the tightrope of imitating bad t.v. in tandem with the metaphysical angst of Trumans unique situation. If it isnt quite the film it could have been The Truman Show is still pretty much unique in the recent crop from our cultural overlords in Hollywood. No arthouse here this is a watchable bigbudget think piece with wellexecuted and stylish direction. Its too early to say but this film may have given some execs at NBC ABC et al. one very bad idea...