Author Topic: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS  (Read 61828 times)

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #150 on: December 31, 2010, 02:07:05 pm »
He does have a point there. ILYPM is a comedy and sometimes it crosses the line. I particularly didn't like the part where Steven discovers that "being a homosexual is very expensive." It was terribly funny and I had to laugh in spite of myself but couldn't they have said something like "being homosexual in South Florida" or just "living high in South Florida"...I think that would have worked just as well. Also, it was expensive because he was infatuated with his bf and just wanted to wow him with gifts and luxury. There are tons of places where being gay is no more expensive than being straight.

There were also places that were very insightful while being funny as well. I'm thinking about Steven's relationship with his ex-wife. She's a bible-thumper and Steven quickly learns how to assert himself without putting down her values...very well done. I also loved the way Steven's and Phillip's relationship unfolded in the prison environment, the stark contrasts.

Ewan's performance sometimes is overshadowed by Jim's (whose wouldn't be?) but on seeing the movie again I appreciated him more. He was never a cariature of a swishy gay guy. I particularly liked the way he acted when Steven threw him for a loop, as he did so many times. The scene when he realized Steven was not a lawyer after all was particularly good. I could go on and on about this movie, its strengths and flaws, but then I would be trespassing into spoiler territory!


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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #151 on: December 31, 2010, 02:13:37 pm »
Oh, I'd also like to add that the movie took efforts to explain that Steven growing up to be a con man without values was due to his upbringing in a family of doofuses, growing up in suburban Texas, and his feelings of abandonment as an adopted child. But after they established this the rest of the story overwhelms this and the point gets lost in the shuffle. So it would be easy for doofus audiences to draw the conclusion that Steven became a con man as a result of his gayness and make other silly assumptions. But, not to worry; it will never play in Peoria at the rate things are going, except thru Netflix.  :-\
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Offline delalluvia

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #152 on: December 31, 2010, 03:29:57 pm »
I understand where Segal is coming from, but he has to remember that the movie is all from Russell's POV.  To him being gay is expensive.

And also Segal loses sight of who the movie's main character really is with that statement.  It's not Russell the gay man, it's Russell the thief and a conman.  His ethics are already in the toilet.  I wouldn't want anyone looking to him as some sort of role model on that score.

And Segal loses sight that this is a true story - for the dying lover scene, sorry, that's reality.  It's not put on the screen as a stereotype - that was a true and painful and impactful entry in Russell's life.

Segal seems to want reality left out.  Guess Russell should apologize to Segal for leading such a stereotypical life?

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #153 on: December 31, 2010, 05:01:16 pm »
And also Segal loses sight of who the movie's main character really is with that statement.  It's not Russell the gay man, it's Russell the thief and a conman.

I don't believe he does. Twice just in the section of his commentary that I quoted, he refers to Carrey's character as a thief. A "swishy thief," to be sure, but he does refer to the character as a thief.

Quote
And Segal loses sight that this is a true story - for the dying lover scene, sorry, that's reality.  It's not put on the screen as a stereotype - that was a true and painful and impactful entry in Russell's life.

Good point. He does not address the "true story" aspect of the film, though whether he "lost sight" of it or deliberately did not address it so as not to dilute his criticism, I'm not in a position to say.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #154 on: December 31, 2010, 05:09:44 pm »
I also loved the way Steven's and Phillip's relationship unfolded in the prison environment, the stark contrasts.

Actually, Segal addressed that aspect of the film, too. I just chose not to go into it when I wrote last night. He thinks the prison environment aspect of the film comes off as way too positive:

"According to this film, life in prison is pretty good for gay guys, since we can buy most anything we want and fall in love."

As Del might point out, however, this ignores the fact that these guys did actually meet and fall in love in prison.

BTW, Mark Segal notwithstanding, I won't be seeing this film because I can't abide Jim Carrey!
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline delalluvia

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #155 on: December 31, 2010, 08:43:42 pm »
Quote
I don't believe he does. Twice just in the section of his commentary that I quoted, he refers to Carrey's character as a thief. A "swishy thief," to be sure, but he does refer to the character as a thief.

But he failed to make the connection of Russell's occupation with his attitudes toward money and entitlement.

Actually, Segal addressed that aspect of the film, too. I just chose not to go into it when I wrote last night. He thinks the prison environment aspect of the film comes off as way too positive:

"According to this film, life in prison is pretty good for gay guys, since we can buy most anything we want and fall in love."

As Del might point out, however, this ignores the fact that these guys did actually meet and fall in love in prison.

BTW, Mark Segal notwithstanding, I won't be seeing this film because I can't abide Jim Carrey!

I think Segal was just trying to make a political point and has been watching too many cable prison shows.  Russell was never in the blocks with hard-timers.  His crimes were always white-collar.  There was some mingling of course, and the movie DOES address how scary life can be in prison - Russell notices Phillip when he's leaving the scene of a fight, Russell does pay someone to beat up others and there are also problems for gays in particular.  Ewan's character Phillip actually does state how he never goes out in the 'yard' because of what happens to men like him.  They don't have to show what men in prison do to men like him for me to believe it.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #156 on: January 01, 2011, 06:15:26 am »
But he failed to make the connection of Russell's occupation with his attitudes toward money and entitlement.

No, I don't believe he did.

Quote
I think Segal was just trying to make a political point and has been watching too many cable prison shows.  Russell was never in the blocks with hard-timers.  His crimes were always white-collar.  There was some mingling of course, and the movie DOES address how scary life can be in prison - Russell notices Phillip when he's leaving the scene of a fight, Russell does pay someone to beat up others and there are also problems for gays in particular.  Ewan's character Phillip actually does state how he never goes out in the 'yard' because of what happens to men like him.  They don't have to show what men in prison do to men like him for me to believe it.

Of course he was trying tp make a political point.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline SFEnnisSF

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #157 on: January 01, 2011, 01:46:42 pm »
This is not the masterpiece that Brokeback Mountain is.  This is not a gay rights movie or a "forward the gay cause" movie.  Not everyone will like this movie.   However, this movie got shelved and had a difficult time being released here in America because of it's gay content.  Which after you see the movie you see the gay aspect of it is really second nature to the fact that the movie is about him being a con man.   Doesn't seem like Segal got this though.  Seems he was looking for this to be another Brokeback Mountain.  Which it is not.  It's just a true story told.  It's a Dramedy, and a very well done one if you ask me.  But, due to the fact that it was shelved just because it had gay content in it is reason enough IMO to tell Hollywood not to do this again by buying a ticket to see it.

Offline delalluvia

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #158 on: January 01, 2011, 02:01:32 pm »
This is not the masterpiece that Brokeback Mountain is.  This is not a gay rights movie or a "forward the gay cause" movie.  Not everyone will like this movie.   However, this movie got shelved and had a difficult time being released here in America because of it's gay content.  Which after you see the movie you see the gay aspect of it is really second nature to the fact that the movie is about him being a con man.  Doesn't seem like Segal got this though.  Seems he was looking for this to be another Brokeback Mountain.  Which it is not.  It's just a true story told.  It's a Dramedy, and a very well done one if you ask me.  But, due to the fact that it was shelved just because it had gay content in it is reason enough IMO to tell Hollywood not to do this again by buying a ticket to see it.

Agree. Segal was looking for another tragedy that dealt with the problems of gay men in the world, showed gay men in a positive light, furthered the cause, etc., etc.  and he was disappointed with a true life story that was nothing like - or supposed to be like - Brokeback.  So he ripped it for being 'stereotypical' ignoring that it was a true story and that the story was basically about a criminal in love.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
« Reply #159 on: January 01, 2011, 03:05:16 pm »
Agree. Segal was looking for another tragedy that dealt with the problems of gay men in the world, showed gay men in a positive light, furthered the cause, etc., etc.  and he was disappointed with a true life story that was nothing like - or supposed to be like - Brokeback.  So he ripped it for being 'stereotypical' ignoring that it was a true story and that the story was basically about a criminal in love.

Not to go all OT here, but we could probably devote an entire thread just to a discussion of how "true" movies that are "true stories" really are. ILYPM is not, after all, a documentary.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.