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I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRISMovie Reviews
Romantic comedy about a man who comes out of the closet to embrace his true identity but is undone by his penchant for crime and is sent to jail where he meets his soul mate, also his cellmate. Cast:Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Michael MandelDirector:John Requa, Glenn FicarraRelease Date:December 3, 2010DVD Release:April 5, 2011From:Consolidated PictureRating:RLength:1 hr 42 min
APRIL 5, 2011
I Love You Phillip Morris, Good (Not Great) Reviews, Mixed Key Cities
I Love You Phillip Morris played in key cities to good not great reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Amy Biancolli wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "...a tonally schizoid, fitfully entertaining film..." • And Kerry Lengel wrote in the Arizona Republic, "If you're a fan of provocative, offbeat films such as 'My Own Private Idaho' or 'The Crying Game,' you might want to give 'Phillip Morris' a chance." More Reviews Below...
I Love You Phillip Morris Positive Reviews (45 Reviews, reviews below)
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a film that frequently feels inconsistent in tone.... veers a bit jarringly between its humorous, serious and romantic moments."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 673 words, 12/02/10
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a tale too bizarre to qualify as believable fiction.... sustains a tone of compassionate hilarity in which oversize romantic gestures coexist with gigantic scams."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 305 words, 12/03/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...outrageously funny.... Carrey and McGregor make it work by making us buy the romance as the real thing. There's something about these Marys that pulls you in."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 12/02/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: WEAK(cg) "An oddball hybrid... aspires to be a dark comedy, sensual romance, true crime account and con-artist thriller.... feels forced and calculated."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 592 words, 12/02/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...provides great quantities of plot and then holds them at arm's length... Carrey makes the role seem effortless; he deceives as spontaneously as others breathe."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 12/09/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a Jim Carrey movie all the way: a good one, I might add.... A star vehicle whose first gay erotic moment shows Mr. Carrey engaged in loud anal sex is asking for trouble."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 761 words, 12/03/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...blasts gay stereotypes back decades... Carrey is clearly hungry to wear a clown suit again. It's a shame he can't just be who he is and move on."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 465 words, 12/03/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: WEAK "...too often plays as an apology, as if the directors are trying to compensate for the gay love story by pushing everything over the top.... I thought we were beyond that."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 12/03/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...provides great quantities of plot and then holds them at arm's length... Carrey makes the role seem effortless; he deceives as spontaneously as others breathe."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 12/09/10
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...bonkers, exhilarating... the best performance of Carrey's career.... advances the homosexual agenda without straight pity, condescension, or self-satisfaction."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 737 words, 12/01/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a hard movie to classify, and you sometimes don't know whether to laugh or gasp.... This is the most interesting role Carrey has had in a long while."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 277 words, 03/04/11
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...tonally confused, fitfully entertaining... The romance between Carrey and McGregor is touching at its best moments, corny at its worst."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 692 words, 12/10/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It's a tribute to McGregor that his trademark sparkle makes us believe, every minute of this film, that a nut like Carrey's Steven would fall for him..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 617 words, 12/24/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a delirious comedy that remains on track largely thanks to Jim Carrey's goofy but grounded performance.... It's hard to hate a sociopath with such an affable grin."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 533 words, 12/17/10
Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "If you're a fan of provocative, offbeat films such as 'My Own Private Idaho' or 'The Crying Game,' you might want to give 'Phillip Morris' a chance."(See all of Kerry Lengel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 12/10/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD(cg) "Requa and Ficarra (the writing team behind 'Cats & Dogs' and 'Bad Santa') aren't quite sure where to drive the narrative, but have fun with some cons-within-cons."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 399 words, 12/24/10
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "True-life stories that don't make sense can be fascinating -- life often doesn't make any sense whatsoever -- but 'I Love You Phillip Morris,' trying hard, never quite sells it."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 341 words, 12/17/10
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE(cg) "...fundamental schizophrenia strong-armed me out of the film, and left me feeling like McGregor's more grounded performance existed in another movie entirely."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 12/17/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It all becomes a bit repetitious -- zany for zany's sake -- which, while not outright disastrous, still falls far short of madly romantic."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 12/24/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A big part of the fun is watching these two giant movie stars plunge headlong into roles that would normally be played by lesser-known actors in a low-budget indie..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 578 words, 12/24/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...bonkers, exhilarating... the best performance of Carrey's career.... advances the homosexual agenda without straight pity, condescension, or self-satisfaction."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 737 words, 12/01/10
Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend: FAIR(cg) "...it doesn't seem to know where it's going or why it's going there, and the result is an unusual movie that's not particularly satisfying."(See all of Josh Tyler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 529 words, 01/19/09
Chris Faraone, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...will garner attention as a sunny gay romance... it would have worked much better as a gritty drama about the most toxic non-violent criminal in Texas history."(See all of Chris Faraone's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 163 words, 12/09/10
Bill Weber, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...gets off on gender-fucking the conventions of romantic and caper comedies while reaping subversive moments of tenderness from its committed central performance."(See all of Bill Weber's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 597 words, 11/28/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a weirdly lyrical comedy.... Despite its uneven qualities, the film offers a consistently surprising account of a natural trickster's great escapes."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 12/17/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "There's never been a movie like this one.... Much of it is funny or affecting in surprising ways, while some of it is undercut by a wildly hyperbolic style."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 338 words, 12/03/10
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a Jim Carrey movie all the way: a good one, I might add.... A star vehicle whose first gay erotic moment shows Mr. Carrey engaged in loud anal sex is asking for trouble."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 761 words, 12/03/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...too often plays as an apology, as if the directors are trying to compensate for the gay love story by pushing everything over the top.... I thought we were beyond that."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 12/03/10
Dana Stevens, Slate: VERY GOOD "...something close to brilliant in its mastery of tone.... a passionate, amoral caper, a story of outlaw love on the run in the tradition of 'Breathless' or 'True Romance.' "(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 581 words, 12/06/10
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD "...total derangement.... Carrey is great and he takes enormous chances and he's kind of too much, which I guess is how I feel about 'I Love You Phillip Morris.' "(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,496 words, 12/01/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
John Anderson, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...will leave auds both laughing and stunned.... no one can say that all involved weren't swinging for the fences.... will give some fans of 'Ace Ventura' heart attacks."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 667 words, 01/19/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...too often plays as an apology, as if the directors are trying to compensate for the gay love story by pushing everything over the top.... I thought we were beyond that."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 12/03/10
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "...a mediocre picture on any level, thematically and particularly technically and stylistically, an indie which goes out of its way to be lurid, hilarious, and shocking."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 723 words, 11/17/10
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a Jim Carrey movie all the way: a good one, I might add.... A star vehicle whose first gay erotic moment shows Mr. Carrey engaged in loud anal sex is asking for trouble."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 761 words, 12/03/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "There's never been a movie like this one.... Much of it is funny or affecting in surprising ways, while some of it is undercut by a wildly hyperbolic style."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 338 words, 12/03/10
20.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
I Love You Phillip Morris's reviews are separated by an average 20.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
I Love You Phillip Morris (45 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:I Love You Phillip Morris's reviews cover 70.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 23,773 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 528 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
I Love You Phillip Morris Coverage, Volume & Length (45 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 10 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
I Love You Phillip Morris's reviews on average broke 10 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is I Love You Phillip Morris's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
I Love You Phillip Morris (45 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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