This fast, funny screenplay does justice to the stranger-than-fiction adventures of real-life conman Steven Jay Russell
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
Directors: John Requa and Glenn Ficarra
Entertainment grade: A–
History grade: A–
During a five-year period in the 1990s, con artist Steven Jay Russell escaped from Texas prisons four times – always on Friday 13th.
Identity
Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) is a churchgoing cop, devoted father and loving husband to a woman so all-American she gets up in the middle of the night to bake cookies. On the down-low, he's gay.
In the film, a car crash prompts him to change his life. "I'm gonna be a fag!" he shouts joyfully at the paramedics who are scraping him off the road. He moves to Miami, acquires a boyfriend called Jimmy Kemple, starts wearing bright colours and buys miniature pinschers. The only problem with his new lifestyle? "Being gay is really expensive.
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
Directors: John Requa and Glenn Ficarra
Entertainment grade: A–
History grade: A–
During a five-year period in the 1990s, con artist Steven Jay Russell escaped from Texas prisons four times – always on Friday 13th.
Identity
Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) is a churchgoing cop, devoted father and loving husband to a woman so all-American she gets up in the middle of the night to bake cookies. On the down-low, he's gay.
In the film, a car crash prompts him to change his life. "I'm gonna be a fag!" he shouts joyfully at the paramedics who are scraping him off the road. He moves to Miami, acquires a boyfriend called Jimmy Kemple, starts wearing bright colours and buys miniature pinschers. The only problem with his new lifestyle? "Being gay is really expensive.
- 11/15/2012
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
Hey everyone, it’s Valentine’s Day! Quick, now that I’ve reminded you run to your local supermarket buy the biggest card that most closely approximates the feelings you’re not sure you have, grab whichever box of chocolates meets the price/presentation ratio you most sincerely feel represents your desire and conjure up some other token gesture cribbed from your loved one’s favourite film/book/song/Mmog.
An air of cynicism perhaps? Yes, probably. No more cynical though than the programming of tosh like The Vow to be brazenly thrust into the goggle-slots of hapless cinemagoers who would much rather be watching, er, Star Wars in 3D or Drew Barrymore save a whale. Plenty of cinemas are doing special Valentine’s screenings of dross like Dirty Dancing which for some reason is considered romantic. Well, it’s not. Fact.
Here are a handful of films I think...
An air of cynicism perhaps? Yes, probably. No more cynical though than the programming of tosh like The Vow to be brazenly thrust into the goggle-slots of hapless cinemagoers who would much rather be watching, er, Star Wars in 3D or Drew Barrymore save a whale. Plenty of cinemas are doing special Valentine’s screenings of dross like Dirty Dancing which for some reason is considered romantic. Well, it’s not. Fact.
Here are a handful of films I think...
- 2/14/2012
- by Owain Paciuszko
- Obsessed with Film
When a movie takes a long time to come to theaters after its festival premiere, there's a tendency to assume the worst. We forget sometimes that festivals are more about heat than quality, and that it's the hottest movies, not always the best ones, that are most quickly acquired and released. A lengthy interim between festival and release doesn't necessarily mean a movie is shelved because it's bad. It might just be a tough sell. I got a big-time reminder of that this week when I watched "I Love You Phillip Morris" by writer/directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.
Released late in 2010 almost two full years after its premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, "I Love You Phillip Morris" hybridizes and satirizes several different genres, most prominently the con man movie and the romantic comedy. Jim Carrey stars as Steven Russell, a police officer and family man who has...
Released late in 2010 almost two full years after its premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, "I Love You Phillip Morris" hybridizes and satirizes several different genres, most prominently the con man movie and the romantic comedy. Jim Carrey stars as Steven Russell, a police officer and family man who has...
- 4/14/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
I Love You Phillip Morris is one of those really amazing films that unfortunately wound up kicking around film festivals and just could not find a distributor. Many people thought it was because the American audience was not prepared for gay sex scenes this explicit, and while there might be some truth in that, I do not think that is the reason why I Love You Phillip Morris could not find a distributor. Despite its difficulties getting into theaters, I really hope that I Love You Phillip Morris finds its audience on DVD and Blu-ray.
In I Love You Phillip Morris, Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) is living the suburban dream with his lovely Christian wife Debbie (Leslie Mann) when a near-death experience forces him to face the fact that he is gay. Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. Steven leaves his wife and family, and he starts leading the high life...
In I Love You Phillip Morris, Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) is living the suburban dream with his lovely Christian wife Debbie (Leslie Mann) when a near-death experience forces him to face the fact that he is gay. Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. Steven leaves his wife and family, and he starts leading the high life...
- 4/12/2011
- by Rachel Kolb
- JustPressPlay.net
I Love You Phillip Morris is one of those really amazing films that unfortunately wound up kicking around film festivals and just could not find a distributor. Many people thought it was because the American audience was not prepared for gay sex scenes this explicit, and while there might be some truth in that, I do not think that is the reason why I Love You Phillip Morris could not find a distributor. Despite its difficulties getting into theaters, I really hope that I Love You Phillip Morris finds its audience on DVD and Blu-ray.
In I Love You Phillip Morris, Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) is living the suburban dream with his lovely Christian wife Debbie (Leslie Mann) when a near-death experience forces him to face the fact that he is gay. Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. Steven leaves his wife and family, and he starts leading the high life...
In I Love You Phillip Morris, Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) is living the suburban dream with his lovely Christian wife Debbie (Leslie Mann) when a near-death experience forces him to face the fact that he is gay. Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. Steven leaves his wife and family, and he starts leading the high life...
- 4/12/2011
- by Rachel Kolb
- JustPressPlay.net
I Love You Phillip Morris
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Screenplay by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
2009, USA
I Love You Phillip Morris opens with a disclaimer of sorts, assuring us that “This really happened. It really did.” Such a blunt beginning not only establishes the film’s overall tone, but also serves as writer-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s license for outrageousness. There is certainly enough material in the true story of Steven Jay Russell, con artist and multiple prison escapee, to make for a riveting psychological drama. But this is not that movie. The film’s first ten minutes-where Steven, as played by Jim Carrey, narrates (in a voice as suspiciously wholesome and happy-go-lucky as that of Ned Flanders) his transition from family man/police officer to affluent gay man/con artist-play out as pure screwball dark comedy; and Ficarra and Riqua, who also co-wrote...
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Screenplay by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
2009, USA
I Love You Phillip Morris opens with a disclaimer of sorts, assuring us that “This really happened. It really did.” Such a blunt beginning not only establishes the film’s overall tone, but also serves as writer-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s license for outrageousness. There is certainly enough material in the true story of Steven Jay Russell, con artist and multiple prison escapee, to make for a riveting psychological drama. But this is not that movie. The film’s first ten minutes-where Steven, as played by Jim Carrey, narrates (in a voice as suspiciously wholesome and happy-go-lucky as that of Ned Flanders) his transition from family man/police officer to affluent gay man/con artist-play out as pure screwball dark comedy; and Ficarra and Riqua, who also co-wrote...
- 4/11/2011
- by Jonathan Youster
- SoundOnSight
Chicago – With all the creatively bankrupt, audience-repelling dreck clogging up theaters these days, it’s easy to see why a comedian would sign up for a challenging art house satire rather than pick up a fat, unearned pay check. Robin Williams delivered his best work in years in Bobcat Goldthwait’s “World’s Greatest Dad,” and now Jim Carrey adds to his streak of woefully underrated performances in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s “I Love You Phillip Morris.”
First-time directors Ficarra and Requa may hardly seem like art house material, especially after helming the scripts for pictures such as “Bad Santa” and “Cats & Dogs.” Yet after a long delay, “Phillip Morris” was relegated to an extremely limited theatrical release, primarily for its decidedly risqué and uncommercial subject matter. In other words, the story is a gay romance that doesn’t portray its characters in a tragic light. The film is a flat-out comedy,...
First-time directors Ficarra and Requa may hardly seem like art house material, especially after helming the scripts for pictures such as “Bad Santa” and “Cats & Dogs.” Yet after a long delay, “Phillip Morris” was relegated to an extremely limited theatrical release, primarily for its decidedly risqué and uncommercial subject matter. In other words, the story is a gay romance that doesn’t portray its characters in a tragic light. The film is a flat-out comedy,...
- 4/7/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Welcome to the first week of April! Now that all of the internet jokes, gags, and pranks are out of the way it’s time to settle in with another week of movies and TV shows on DVD to keep you entertained at home. Like every other week of the year this one features a fairly interesting array of titles that run the gamut from the good to the bad, but we also get two offbeat comedies that I think are worth a purchase for fans of oddball romances and charmingly humorous characters. Oh. And two shitty Tron movies hit shelves this week too. Year Of the Carnivore A young woman named Samantha Smalls (Cristin Milioti) has a terrible sexual experience with her guitarist crush, and he suggests she cut loose, have fun, and gain some more experience in bed. And so she does… and along the way she learns everything you’d expect her to in...
- 4/6/2011
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
By Greg Hernandez
HollywoodNews.com: If you missed the drama ‘I Love You Phillip Morris’ starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor – which was easy to do since it never got past limited release – now is your chance to catch it on DVD.
The film focuses on a love affair between a con man (Carrey) and his cellmate (McGregor). Carrey’s character commits all kinds of crazy misdeeds, like breaking out of Texas prisons four times, to be with his lover.
Carrey played Steven Russell, a man who leads a seemingly average life – an organ player in the local church, happily married to Debbie (Leslie Mann), and a member of the local police force.
Steven has a severe car accident that leads him to the ultimate epiphany: he’s gay and he’s going to live life to the fullest – even if he has to break the law to do it.
HollywoodNews.com: If you missed the drama ‘I Love You Phillip Morris’ starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor – which was easy to do since it never got past limited release – now is your chance to catch it on DVD.
The film focuses on a love affair between a con man (Carrey) and his cellmate (McGregor). Carrey’s character commits all kinds of crazy misdeeds, like breaking out of Texas prisons four times, to be with his lover.
Carrey played Steven Russell, a man who leads a seemingly average life – an organ player in the local church, happily married to Debbie (Leslie Mann), and a member of the local police force.
Steven has a severe car accident that leads him to the ultimate epiphany: he’s gay and he’s going to live life to the fullest – even if he has to break the law to do it.
- 4/5/2011
- by Greg Hernandez
- Hollywoodnews.com
Steven Russell is a small-town West Virginia cop with a pretty wife till a near-death car accident forces him to confront the truth: He’s gay, dammit, and there’s nothing to be done about it except begin to live the life he was born to lead. So he moves to Miami, gets a hot boyfriend, and discovers another difficult fact: “Being gay is really expensive.” So he turns to a life of con artistry to support himself and his lover in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed. Here’s the twist: In prison -- for yes, the law inevitably catches up with Russell -- he falls hard and fast and deep for his cellmate, the endearing Phillip Morris (and Morris for him)... and Russell will do anything to be with Morris forever and ever from then on, up to and including multiple (and hilarious) escapes from prison once they’re separated.
- 1/24/2011
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
I Love You, Phillip Morris Directed by: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa Written by: John Requa & Glenn Ficarra (written by), Steve McVicker (book) Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann The battle to bring I Love You, Phillip Morris to the screen was a curious one. Originally set to bow in early 2010, the film was shelved for six months by its distributors. A vague legal battle postponed the second scheduled release last summer, and the film finally limped to my local art house in December. There was widespread speculation that one of the reasons for its initial delay was — how should I put this — its gayness. Honestly, that was one of the primary reasons I was interested in seeing this docudrama, which casts Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey as penal lovers (pardon my French). Distinctly different actors, the idea of the pair performing together proved an interesting proposition, especially if the...
- 1/14/2011
- by Colin
- FilmJunk
The I Love You Phillip Morris soundtrack. So, the Steven Russell biopic finally arrives in American cinemas, a year after its initial release in Europe and Asia, and having already grossed $18m. Speculation in certain media outlets suggests that the ridiculous delay for this hugely entertaining comedic romp (comfortably superior to other recent multiplex-friendly A-list starring comedies like, say, The Men Who Stare At Goats) is mostly due to homophobia, which of course is true. Jim Carrey playing a gay man? Well, I guess we could… what’s that? Having enthusiastic gay sex? On-screen? With another man? Not just, like, making a series of crass and implicitly bigoted anti-gay generalisations for cheap yucks? No no no no no. No no no. No. Gay characters as protagonists? Treated equally to straight characters? That is not what the American public want. What’s next, black protagonists? Female protagonists? Sure we do a few of them,...
- 1/8/2011
- by Chris Neilan
- Movie-moron.com
The best part of I Love You, Phillip Morris is the mad dash you make to Wikipedia afterwards to find out how much of the film is actually true. It's also the most disappointing part, but not for the reasons you'd expect. What you learn from Wikipedia and the off-shooting sources is that what you're told in the film about Steven Jay Russell, the man played by Jim Carrey in the film, are not only true, but that there's more to it. In fact, you can get a much better idea of who Steven Russel is from Wikipedia and one newspaper interview than you can from the entirety of I Love You, Phillip Morris. It's not that directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (the writers behind Cats and Dogs and Bad Santa) took excessive dramatic liberties, it's that they took egregious tonal liberties, and in trying to force a dark...
- 1/7/2011
- by Dustin Rowles
The Writers Guild members have spoken. Though their tongues were kinda bound by their rules which prohibit, as I understand it, non-members from receiving nominations (AMPAS members can vote for you even if you aren't affiliated with them or with an American guild). So for what it's worth, here are the nominations.
"I heard you were an MTV girl"
Alice in The Fighter
Original Screenplay
Black Swan, Screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin; Story by Andres Heinz; Fox Searchlight
The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Paramount Pictures
Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros.
The Kids Are All Right, Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg; Focus Features
Please Give, Written by Nicole Holofcener; Sony Pictures Classics
Last year and the year before this category had very little overlap between WGA and Oscar (2 and...
"I heard you were an MTV girl"
Alice in The Fighter
Original Screenplay
Black Swan, Screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin; Story by Andres Heinz; Fox Searchlight
The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Paramount Pictures
Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros.
The Kids Are All Right, Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg; Focus Features
Please Give, Written by Nicole Holofcener; Sony Pictures Classics
Last year and the year before this category had very little overlap between WGA and Oscar (2 and...
- 1/4/2011
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
year in review parts 1-7
tear-jerkers, music videos, worst films, gay characters and more...
Four Lions
Michael C. from Serious Film here for a few good laughs.
Any future film historians examining the tail end of 2010 will likely mark this year as dark days for screen comedy. Comedy icons Woody Allen and James L Brooks rolled twin gutter balls, while mainstream audiences lined up around the block to watch the star of Taxi Driver do 98 minutes of boner jokes. As if to rub salt in the wound, the Golden Globes saw fit to nominate an inexplicable slate of comedies that were, with few exceptions, unfunny, unexceptional, or in some cases downright awful.
Still, if you managed to look beyond the large pile of high profile duds there were plenty of laughs to be had in 2010. So here for your consideration is the year in comedy. Not the best movies overall,...
tear-jerkers, music videos, worst films, gay characters and more...
Four Lions
Michael C. from Serious Film here for a few good laughs.
Any future film historians examining the tail end of 2010 will likely mark this year as dark days for screen comedy. Comedy icons Woody Allen and James L Brooks rolled twin gutter balls, while mainstream audiences lined up around the block to watch the star of Taxi Driver do 98 minutes of boner jokes. As if to rub salt in the wound, the Golden Globes saw fit to nominate an inexplicable slate of comedies that were, with few exceptions, unfunny, unexceptional, or in some cases downright awful.
Still, if you managed to look beyond the large pile of high profile duds there were plenty of laughs to be had in 2010. So here for your consideration is the year in comedy. Not the best movies overall,...
- 12/31/2010
- by Michael C.
- FilmExperience
As 2010 draws to a close, we celebrate the year's 10 most underrated performances...
As we head into awards season, the likes of Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter are hotly tipped to pick up nominations at the very least, if not actual gongs for their acting in The King's Speech. Christian Bale made a big old physical transformation for The Fighter, as did Natalie Portman for Black Swan. But those two films won't come out until 2011 in the UK, and nor will The King's Speech.
The tendency is to award stuff that comes out at the very end of the year, and so a lot of good performances earlier in the movie calendar are forgotten. Most of these actors didn't undergo gruelling physical transformations or star in the kind of film that Oscar likes to reward. They were just good. Maybe not Oscar good, but they were undervalued, either in reviews...
As we head into awards season, the likes of Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter are hotly tipped to pick up nominations at the very least, if not actual gongs for their acting in The King's Speech. Christian Bale made a big old physical transformation for The Fighter, as did Natalie Portman for Black Swan. But those two films won't come out until 2011 in the UK, and nor will The King's Speech.
The tendency is to award stuff that comes out at the very end of the year, and so a lot of good performances earlier in the movie calendar are forgotten. Most of these actors didn't undergo gruelling physical transformations or star in the kind of film that Oscar likes to reward. They were just good. Maybe not Oscar good, but they were undervalued, either in reviews...
- 12/20/2010
- Den of Geek
The holiday movies and end-of-year awards bait films are upon us, folks. We'll continue to see Prestigious Films through January or February, since they don't all hit Austin right away. You never know whether you'll end up watching something stuffy, dull, emotionally manipulative, or -- surprise! -- just plain wonderful. And speaking of which, have you seen Black Swan yet?
Movies We've Seen:
The Fighter -- The latest film from David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees) is a surprisingly traditional sports-related drama based on real-life characters. Jenn says the Massachusetts accents and setting are accurate in this one. Read my review to find out what I thought (hint: it has boxing in it) (hint #2: do not judge this movie by its trailers). (wide)
I Love You Phillip Morris -- This Jim Carrey-starring dark comedy finally arrives in Austin. (Actually, it was here in October for Austin Film Festival.
Movies We've Seen:
The Fighter -- The latest film from David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees) is a surprisingly traditional sports-related drama based on real-life characters. Jenn says the Massachusetts accents and setting are accurate in this one. Read my review to find out what I thought (hint: it has boxing in it) (hint #2: do not judge this movie by its trailers). (wide)
I Love You Phillip Morris -- This Jim Carrey-starring dark comedy finally arrives in Austin. (Actually, it was here in October for Austin Film Festival.
- 12/17/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
I Love You Phillip Morris
Directed by: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro
Running Time: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: December 17, 2010
Plot: A car accident makes Steven Russell (Carrey) examine his life. He admits he’s gay and becomes a con man to support his new lifestyle. This leads to jail and his new love (McGregor).
Who’S It For? It’s a great performance from Carrey, so that alone should get some to see it. It’s also pretty fun and a nutty “true” story. Keep in mind, you’re following a con man.
Expectations: All I knew about this films were the delays. Lots of delays. That’s never a good sign. But you have Carrey and McGregor as a couple in prison. What’s not to like with that idea?
Scorecard (0-10)
Actors:
Jim Carrey as Steven Russell:...
Directed by: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro
Running Time: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: December 17, 2010
Plot: A car accident makes Steven Russell (Carrey) examine his life. He admits he’s gay and becomes a con man to support his new lifestyle. This leads to jail and his new love (McGregor).
Who’S It For? It’s a great performance from Carrey, so that alone should get some to see it. It’s also pretty fun and a nutty “true” story. Keep in mind, you’re following a con man.
Expectations: All I knew about this films were the delays. Lots of delays. That’s never a good sign. But you have Carrey and McGregor as a couple in prison. What’s not to like with that idea?
Scorecard (0-10)
Actors:
Jim Carrey as Steven Russell:...
- 12/17/2010
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Many films have a difficult time getting to your local cinema. Of course many low budget independent films never make it to theatres outside of La and NYC. Some head straight to home video and fade away. It’s rare when a film starring starring two actors who’ve been in many recent box office blockbusters sits on the shelf for over a year. This is the case of I Love You Phillip Morris with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. It premiered at the Sundance in January of 2009 and aired on Argentinian TV this past February. A few months ago I recall hearing an entertainment reporter saying she had seen the film on a flight to Europe. After several lawsuits and false release dates this romantic comedy, based on a true story, finally arrives in Us theatres. I’m not sure if the film itself is as fascinating as it...
- 12/17/2010
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The notorious con artist Steven Russell has been both amazingly corrupt and amazingly clever. An expert at fraud and embezzlement, he masterminded many astonishing scams and escaped from prison several times. Known for his high Iq and impersonation skills, he outwitted corporate executives, bank officials, and law enforcement alike, conning his way into high-level jobs as easily as he conned his way out of prison cells.
Given Russell's notoriety and anti-hero fame, as detailed in the book by Houston journalist Steve McVicker, a movie about his life is almost inevitable. His criminal escapades and charming rogue persona are perfect fodder for a cinematic treatment. That film is I Love You Phillip Morris, a tragicomic romp written and directed by Bad Santa writers John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. While entertaining, the movie isn't quite as smart or clever as its subject.
Opening on Friday in Austin, I Love You Phillip Morris...
Given Russell's notoriety and anti-hero fame, as detailed in the book by Houston journalist Steve McVicker, a movie about his life is almost inevitable. His criminal escapades and charming rogue persona are perfect fodder for a cinematic treatment. That film is I Love You Phillip Morris, a tragicomic romp written and directed by Bad Santa writers John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. While entertaining, the movie isn't quite as smart or clever as its subject.
Opening on Friday in Austin, I Love You Phillip Morris...
- 12/16/2010
- by Don Clinchy
- Slackerwood
I Love You Phillip Morris
Directed by: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro
Running Time: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: December 17, 2010
Plot: A car accident makes Steven Russell (Carrey) examine his life. He admits he’s gay and becomes a con man to support his new lifestyle. This leads to jail and his new love (McGregor).
Emmy nominated Jake Hamilton sits down to talk with Jim Carrey about his new dark comedy, I Love You Phillip Morris — only on Jake’S Takes!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpXzCxeeOuE
Jake Hamilton: Entertainment Reporter
Two-time Emmy nominee Jake Hamilton began his film critic career at the age of 14 when he was brought on to write film reviews for the Houston Chronicle. Pegged as a brutally honest and genuinely real critic for the people, Hamilton spent the next four years writing hundreds of reviews,...
Directed by: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro
Running Time: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: December 17, 2010
Plot: A car accident makes Steven Russell (Carrey) examine his life. He admits he’s gay and becomes a con man to support his new lifestyle. This leads to jail and his new love (McGregor).
Emmy nominated Jake Hamilton sits down to talk with Jim Carrey about his new dark comedy, I Love You Phillip Morris — only on Jake’S Takes!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpXzCxeeOuE
Jake Hamilton: Entertainment Reporter
Two-time Emmy nominee Jake Hamilton began his film critic career at the age of 14 when he was brought on to write film reviews for the Houston Chronicle. Pegged as a brutally honest and genuinely real critic for the people, Hamilton spent the next four years writing hundreds of reviews,...
- 12/16/2010
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
After more than 30 years in the business, Jim Carrey isn't done surprising people. When the wildly talented comedian first caught Hollywood's attention in the early 1990s on "In Living Color," he blew audiences away with his gravity-defying physicality and willingness to go anywhere comedy required, be it playing a pyromaniac fire marshal or a buff female bodybuilder. He went on to become one of the biggest box office stars in the world, with a string of crowd-pleasing hits executed from often-flimsy premises: a pet detective, a guy who dons a mask and morphs into a monster of pure id, a man who literally cannot tell a lie. And when Carrey had the audacity to go after more-dramatic roles, he didn't listen to the naysayers—who obviously hadn't caught his subtle work as an alcoholic in the 1992 TV movie "Doing Time on Maple Drive." If thoughtful performances in "The Truman Show...
- 12/14/2010
- backstage.com
Here's a sneak peek at what's opening this weekend, including the spy thriller "The Tourist," the "Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader," and the Mark Wahlberg/Christian Bale boxing flick "The Fighter" and more!
In Theaters Now (December)'The Tourist' (Dec. 10)
Who: Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie; directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck What: American tourist Frank (Depp) visits Italy to mend a broken heart and meets Elise (Jolie), an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path.
In Theaters Now (December)'The Tourist' (Dec. 10)
Who: Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie; directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck What: American tourist Frank (Depp) visits Italy to mend a broken heart and meets Elise (Jolie), an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path.
- 12/10/2010
- Extra
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Chicago – John Requa and Glenn Ficarra’s “I Love You Phillip Morris” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival nearly two years ago and was released internationally so long ago that it’s out on DVD in most markets around the world. After financial difficulties plagued the first company intent on stateside distribution, the movie sat on a shelf and most of us assumed it would be making its U.S. debut on a round shiny disc. Surprisingly, after months of uncertainty, Roadside Attractions is releasing the film in theaters this week, right in the heart of awards season, and it’s not hard to see why they have confidence in the project, but it’s just as easy to see why it hasn’t played in theaters earlier.
Most will point to the subject matter and frank depiction of homosexuality as what scared away potential distributors and “I Love You Phillip Morris...
Chicago – John Requa and Glenn Ficarra’s “I Love You Phillip Morris” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival nearly two years ago and was released internationally so long ago that it’s out on DVD in most markets around the world. After financial difficulties plagued the first company intent on stateside distribution, the movie sat on a shelf and most of us assumed it would be making its U.S. debut on a round shiny disc. Surprisingly, after months of uncertainty, Roadside Attractions is releasing the film in theaters this week, right in the heart of awards season, and it’s not hard to see why they have confidence in the project, but it’s just as easy to see why it hasn’t played in theaters earlier.
Most will point to the subject matter and frank depiction of homosexuality as what scared away potential distributors and “I Love You Phillip Morris...
- 12/10/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
I Love You Phillip Morris is a surprising film, and a welcome one at that. This surprisingly conventional (in a good way) love story is the solid directorial debut from the scribes of Bad Santa. Bad Santa has reached an undeniable cult status in the past few years, and I Love You Philip Morris has the power and quality to do the same. It’s doubtful that this will reach a major audience in its theatrical run. I’ve never seen a Jim Carrey film go so far under the radar for general audiences, but due to the fact it’s one of Carrey’s best performances and a damn fine dramatic comedy as well, it’ll one day be recognized.
Morris has had distribution and release issues, but obviously not due to an issue of quality. It’s material may turn off some, but mainly those looking for easy pokes at gays.
Morris has had distribution and release issues, but obviously not due to an issue of quality. It’s material may turn off some, but mainly those looking for easy pokes at gays.
- 12/10/2010
- by Jack Giroux
- The Film Stage
By Pete Hammond
HollywoodNews.com: Do movie going weekends get any slower than this?
Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving is among the slowest, if not the slowest of the year and this one did nothing to alter than perception. With only one new film even attempting a semi-wide release, Relativity Media’s ninja western, “The Warriors Way” (a disastrous 9th place start on 1600 screens), it really was a period where specialty releases like the fantastic 18 screen debut of “Black Swan” or the second limited weekend of “The King’s Speech” could really strut their stuff. The mainstream masses may have had other things on their mind like tree trimming, shopping, parties or Chunakah but the art house crowd was out in force.
“Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky was ebullient when I caught up with him earlier this week. He had just come to L.A. from the New York premiere...
HollywoodNews.com: Do movie going weekends get any slower than this?
Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving is among the slowest, if not the slowest of the year and this one did nothing to alter than perception. With only one new film even attempting a semi-wide release, Relativity Media’s ninja western, “The Warriors Way” (a disastrous 9th place start on 1600 screens), it really was a period where specialty releases like the fantastic 18 screen debut of “Black Swan” or the second limited weekend of “The King’s Speech” could really strut their stuff. The mainstream masses may have had other things on their mind like tree trimming, shopping, parties or Chunakah but the art house crowd was out in force.
“Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky was ebullient when I caught up with him earlier this week. He had just come to L.A. from the New York premiere...
- 12/6/2010
- by Pete Hammond
- Hollywoodnews.com
One of the best movies of the year is opening today, and odds are many people aren't even aware of it. That in and of itself isn't so odd--plenty of gems slip by unnoticed every year--but what makes this film's quiet release unusual is that it stars Jim Carrey. And it's one of the most praised performance's of the actor's eclectic, wildly successful career. The film is "I Love You Phillip Morris," and it's a sweet, wild, romantic, hilarious ride that is made all the more crazy by the fact it's based on a true story. The film premiered to an enthusiastic response almost two years ago at Sundance, but faced several delays for various reasons--some said Disney didn't want it opening too close to their family film "A Christmas Carol" with Carrey, sometimes it was legal snafus. Regardless, the film is finally out and, hopefully, playing at a theater near you.
- 12/4/2010
- backstage.com
Jim Carrey adds a little swish to his familiar physical dexterity as con-man Steven Russell in I Love You Phillip Morris. His rubber face sad-comic mask falls hard for mild-mannered Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), while both are in prison. Their affair prompts much elaborate scheming from Steven about how to bust them out.
The film's strange and gleefully offensive comic tone comes courtesy of the Bad Santa screenwriters but this time they serve it up with a fey twist. The politically incorrect gay humor is incongruously combined with genuine sincerity and even sweetness. You don't cast the dependably adorable McGregor if you're not willing to spike your booze with a little punch...
Read the rest at my weekly column @ Towleroad
(There's a couple more notes on Black Swan, too.)
*...
The film's strange and gleefully offensive comic tone comes courtesy of the Bad Santa screenwriters but this time they serve it up with a fey twist. The politically incorrect gay humor is incongruously combined with genuine sincerity and even sweetness. You don't cast the dependably adorable McGregor if you're not willing to spike your booze with a little punch...
Read the rest at my weekly column @ Towleroad
(There's a couple more notes on Black Swan, too.)
*...
- 12/4/2010
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
New slants on the age-old love story ought to happen more often. Usually though, you just end up with a recycled piece of garbage starring two big names ranked at the top of the latest Us Weekly’s top 10 hottest faces list (or whatever they call their lists). The tropes fall like dominos and you consider yourself lucky if there’s even the slightest bit of originality mixed in with the typical small-talk that inevitably leads to a few comically awkward moments ending in true love. We’ve all seen that movie a few dozen times. I Love You, Phillip Morris doesn’t fit that mold, and chances are the last movie you saw even slightly resembling it wasn’t a love story, but rather the Tom Hanks and Leonardo Dicaprio vehicle, Catch Me If You Can. Phillip Morris is equal parts romantic comedy and con man thriller, a combination...
- 12/3/2010
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
I Love You Phillip Morris
Starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Rated R
Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell, a gay man who has been hiding behind a child, a wife, and a job after years of inadequacy due to the discovery of his adoption as a boy. After a brush with death, Steven loudly proclaims that he is going to be “a fag!” and promptly leaps out of the closet. There’s only one problem, you can take the man out of the lie, but you can’t take the lie out of the man. Steven’s addiction to the façade and the plush extravagances of the gay lifestyle lead him into the world of credit fraud, and ultimately, jail. It is during his first stay in prison where he meets Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor. The two almost instantly fall in love,...
Starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Rated R
Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell, a gay man who has been hiding behind a child, a wife, and a job after years of inadequacy due to the discovery of his adoption as a boy. After a brush with death, Steven loudly proclaims that he is going to be “a fag!” and promptly leaps out of the closet. There’s only one problem, you can take the man out of the lie, but you can’t take the lie out of the man. Steven’s addiction to the façade and the plush extravagances of the gay lifestyle lead him into the world of credit fraud, and ultimately, jail. It is during his first stay in prison where he meets Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor. The two almost instantly fall in love,...
- 12/3/2010
- by Olivia Briggs
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Here's a sneak peek at what's opening this weekend, including the psychological thriller "Black Swan," the martial arts flick "The Warrior's Way" and Jim Carrey's quirky dramedy "I Love You, Phillip Morris."
In Theaters Now (December)'Black Swan' (Dec. 3)
Who: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey; directed by Darren Aronofsky What: In this psychological thriller, a ballet dancer (Portman) finally gets her big shot at playing the Swan Queen in "Swan Lake.
In Theaters Now (December)'Black Swan' (Dec. 3)
Who: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey; directed by Darren Aronofsky What: In this psychological thriller, a ballet dancer (Portman) finally gets her big shot at playing the Swan Queen in "Swan Lake.
- 12/3/2010
- Extra
Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor’s long-delayed, prison love movie I Love You Phillip Morris finally hits theaters today, and it is a warped, crazy few hours. It’s like Burlesque meets Green Mile with a dash of Toy Story 3 and a hit of acid.
Behind some of the more campy, flamboyant aspects and quirky situations though, the story has a lot of heart. Unbelievably, the movie is based on a real case (there really is a Phillip Morris) which you’ll constantly be reminding yourself of the entire film. Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell, a con-man who falls in love with Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) in prison, and then spends the rest of the film finding innovative ways to bust out of the clink to be with the man he loves.
Will Pulos sat down with Jim a little bit ago to talk about the real life Steven Russell,...
Behind some of the more campy, flamboyant aspects and quirky situations though, the story has a lot of heart. Unbelievably, the movie is based on a real case (there really is a Phillip Morris) which you’ll constantly be reminding yourself of the entire film. Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell, a con-man who falls in love with Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) in prison, and then spends the rest of the film finding innovative ways to bust out of the clink to be with the man he loves.
Will Pulos sat down with Jim a little bit ago to talk about the real life Steven Russell,...
- 12/3/2010
- by AfterElton.com Staff
- The Backlot
Movies just don’t typically exhibit the wild, go for broke attitude on full display in I Love You Phillip Morris and get away with it. So it’s no surprise that distributors had no idea how to handle the movie, which premiered at Sundance in 2009, or that it’s run through a ringer of missed release dates and legal action before finally hitting theaters this weekend. Yet, somehow, co-writers/directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa have turned a script comprised of wildly fluctuating tones, divergent scenes of broad comic flourishes and carefully calibrated drama, satire mixed with heartfelt personal insight, into a final product that’s a sharp, smart comedy. The rails could have come off Phillip Morris in so many ways, it’s a veritable miracle that the film sticks together as well as it does. Jim Carrey stars as Steven Russell, a Virginia policeman and church organist with a wife (Leslie Mann) and daughter...
- 12/3/2010
- by Robert Levin
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
It's an admittedly incredible true-life story: an imprisoned con artist named Steven Russell falls in love with an inmate named Phillip Morris. When Morris is released, Russell escapes to be with him — using increasingly ingenious methods to do so.
It's pretty obvious source material for a movie, except for the whole "gay" part — which is why the finished film also made headlines with the almost comically difficult time it's had finding a distributor, with two earlier scheduled limited releases canceled, one in April of this year and one in August. All this despite the fact that it tells that camera-ready story and stars one of the most bankable actors in the world, Jim Carrey.
The film has already been released in Europe and elsewhere in the world (to mostly positive reviews and limited box office success). But this weekend, it's finally now getting that limited release in the U.S.
It's pretty obvious source material for a movie, except for the whole "gay" part — which is why the finished film also made headlines with the almost comically difficult time it's had finding a distributor, with two earlier scheduled limited releases canceled, one in April of this year and one in August. All this despite the fact that it tells that camera-ready story and stars one of the most bankable actors in the world, Jim Carrey.
The film has already been released in Europe and elsewhere in the world (to mostly positive reviews and limited box office success). But this weekend, it's finally now getting that limited release in the U.S.
- 12/3/2010
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
Filed under: Features
The current "It Gets Better" campaign uses celebrity-made videos to buck up gay and lesbian teens who've been hounded by bullies. Alternatively, the teens could take some self-esteem pointers from a handful of fierce gay and lesbian Hollywood movie characters, including Jim Carrey in the new 'I Love You Phillip Morris' (opening Dec. 3).
Carrey plays Steven Russell, a real-life con man and frequent prison escapee. Granted, career criminal Russell is no role model. Yet audiences have to admire his outlaw resourcefulness, his ability to outwit the system and his refusal to let anything (even prison walls) stand in the way of his romance with fellow convict Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor).
Carrey's performance reminded us at Moviefone of other badass gay and lesbian characters in movies. Some are based on real people, some are heroic, some are on the wrong side of the law. But all...
The current "It Gets Better" campaign uses celebrity-made videos to buck up gay and lesbian teens who've been hounded by bullies. Alternatively, the teens could take some self-esteem pointers from a handful of fierce gay and lesbian Hollywood movie characters, including Jim Carrey in the new 'I Love You Phillip Morris' (opening Dec. 3).
Carrey plays Steven Russell, a real-life con man and frequent prison escapee. Granted, career criminal Russell is no role model. Yet audiences have to admire his outlaw resourcefulness, his ability to outwit the system and his refusal to let anything (even prison walls) stand in the way of his romance with fellow convict Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor).
Carrey's performance reminded us at Moviefone of other badass gay and lesbian characters in movies. Some are based on real people, some are heroic, some are on the wrong side of the law. But all...
- 12/3/2010
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Check out my reviews of "I Love You Phillip Morris" and "Black Swan." Click here to watch my review.
Here's more info on both films from Yahoo:
"I Love You Phillip Morris"
Steven Russell leads a seemingly average life -- an organ player in the local church, happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force. That is until he has a severe car accident that leads him to the ultimate epiphany: he's gay and he's going to live life to the fullest --even if he has to break the law to do it. Taking on an extravagant lifestyle, Steven turns to cons and fraud to make ends meet and is eventually sent to the State Penitentiary where he meets the love of his life, a sensitive, soft-spoken man named Phillip Morris. His devotion to freeing Phillip from jail and building the perfect life together prompts him...
Here's more info on both films from Yahoo:
"I Love You Phillip Morris"
Steven Russell leads a seemingly average life -- an organ player in the local church, happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force. That is until he has a severe car accident that leads him to the ultimate epiphany: he's gay and he's going to live life to the fullest --even if he has to break the law to do it. Taking on an extravagant lifestyle, Steven turns to cons and fraud to make ends meet and is eventually sent to the State Penitentiary where he meets the love of his life, a sensitive, soft-spoken man named Phillip Morris. His devotion to freeing Phillip from jail and building the perfect life together prompts him...
- 12/3/2010
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Review in a Hurry: Like a campy Catch Me If You Can, this outrageous, swing-from-the-rafters comedy tells the true story of a con man's journey from small-town family man to gay white-collar criminal. "Love" is too strong for this sporadically funny but tonally uneven caper starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. Let's just be friends, Phillip Morris, 'K? The Bigger Picture: Yep, The Cable Guy goes gay. Carrey stars as sociopath Steven Russell, who—in the strong, swift first act—has an epiphany after his horrific car crash. He's coming outta the closet! Ditching the wife and police job, he moves to Miami and takes a caliente luvah. He discovers "being gay is really expensive"...
- 12/3/2010
- E! Online
Summary: A threateningly good movie about lying your ass off in the name of love.
"Today is the day I change my life."
I say this to myself almost every day, as I expect most of the desperately probing do. Most of the time, this pledge manifests itself in clean laundry... and that's if I'm especially motivated. But for Steven Russell, the cunning hero of the daring adult comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, who and where he is is constantly in flux. It's the why that stays the same; he does it all for the love of a boy.
Screen Frontpage
read more...
"Today is the day I change my life."
I say this to myself almost every day, as I expect most of the desperately probing do. Most of the time, this pledge manifests itself in clean laundry... and that's if I'm especially motivated. But for Steven Russell, the cunning hero of the daring adult comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, who and where he is is constantly in flux. It's the why that stays the same; he does it all for the love of a boy.
Screen Frontpage
read more...
- 12/2/2010
- by Benny Gammerman
- Filmology
Title: I Love You Phillip Morris Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Brennan Brown, David Jensen Just about everyone has heard the phrase, “Don’t mess with Texas.” Apparently, Steven Russell didn’t get that memo. He not only messed with Texas, he thoroughly embarrassed the lone star state time and time again. The manner in which he forges his way through life in this 102 minute feature titled I Love You Phillip Morris, has Hollywood scripting written all over it. But here’s the catch…This story really happened. Based on the exploits of con man extraordinaire - a.k.a. “King Con” - Phillip Morris is a comedic portrayal [...]...
- 12/2/2010
- by joe
- ShockYa
Attention: You will see I Love You, Phillip Morris when it hits theaters Friday. It's a blitz of romantic desperation, flash, and (sigh!) gayness. You must go. To prepare you for Jim Carrey's gloriously shady role as Steven Russell in Phillip Morris, I give you this week's Bad Movie We Love, where Jim Carrey plays the most gloriously shady role of all -- Death in High Strung. Join us as we revisit writer/comedian Steve Oedekerk's low-budget, low-meaning flick, and discuss how Carrey's uncredited part might be his most genius.
- 12/1/2010
- Movieline
When writer-directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra took “I Love You Phillip Morris” to Miramax, the studio loved their black comedy about two men who fall in love in prison. With one caveat. “Is there any way,” an executive asked, “you could make one of them a woman?” Which is sort of like asking if, perhaps, Darth Vader could be Luke’s second cousin instead, or if Old Yeller maybe doesn’t die in the end. It completely misses the point.
- 11/28/2010
- by By REED TUCKER
- NYPost.com
Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) is gay. This wouldn’t be a problem, except that on the surface he’s a family man with a child and an unsuspecting wife (Leslie Mann). But an unfortunate car accident that lands him in a hospital, forces Steven to come clean and finally enjoy life at its fullest. For him this means wearing flashy clothes, partying [...]...
- 11/27/2010
- by Alexandra
- MoviesOnline.ca
The close of 2010 is upon us, but that doesn't mean Tinseltown is finished giving us an assortment of movies. This is the time of year when Hollywood brings out their big guns, films in every genre they hope will successfully cap off their fiscal year and be remembered come Oscar nomination time a few weeks later.Some end up classics in the making, others expensive duds that fail to please the masses. The following is a preview of upcoming films that will either be remembered for years to come, or forgotten as quickly as it takes to eat your popcorn.NOVEMBER19HARRY Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1Part 1 begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort's immortality and destruction—the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore,...
- 11/26/2010
- LRMonline.com
I Love You Phillip Morris has been causing controversy for so long you’d be hard-pressed to remember exactly when it all started. With the release imminent, there’s a red band trailer available, and it’s not the sort that is particularly joking about the restriction. The Jim Carrey / Ewan McGregor vehicle about a homosexual criminal isn’t the sort of film that’s going to pull any punches, and the effort to get viewers to take the ride is going to be an interesting one.
Below find the age-gated trailer, a few images from the premiere, and more info, and tell me what your thoughts are on this one. Also, be sure to enter for a chance to win an I Love You Phillip Morris T-Shirt.
I Love You Phillip Morris is the improbable but true story of a spectacularly charismatic conman’s journey from small-town businessman to flamboyant white-collar criminal,...
Below find the age-gated trailer, a few images from the premiere, and more info, and tell me what your thoughts are on this one. Also, be sure to enter for a chance to win an I Love You Phillip Morris T-Shirt.
I Love You Phillip Morris is the improbable but true story of a spectacularly charismatic conman’s journey from small-town businessman to flamboyant white-collar criminal,...
- 11/23/2010
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
" love being granddaddy, granddaddy Jim," the actor told Access Hollywood over the weekend at the "I Love You Phillip Morris" junket.
"It's very odd, it's not something I expected at this age to be," he explained.
Despite the shock of being such a young grandfather, the 48-year-old says that he loves every second of grandson Jackson Riley Santana.
"I just get a lot of joy, a lot of joy from that little boy... he's just magical," Jim continued. "It's the greatest feeling in the world and as you get older...your connection to these things gets so intense...you just go, 'Without this, I die.'"
Jim also had to adjust to his new role in "I Love You Phillip Morris," where he plays real-life gay con artist and impostor Steven Russell, who was romantically involved with his cellmate Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor. Jim explained that he dove head on into their love scenes.
"I always...
"It's very odd, it's not something I expected at this age to be," he explained.
Despite the shock of being such a young grandfather, the 48-year-old says that he loves every second of grandson Jackson Riley Santana.
"I just get a lot of joy, a lot of joy from that little boy... he's just magical," Jim continued. "It's the greatest feeling in the world and as you get older...your connection to these things gets so intense...you just go, 'Without this, I die.'"
Jim also had to adjust to his new role in "I Love You Phillip Morris," where he plays real-life gay con artist and impostor Steven Russell, who was romantically involved with his cellmate Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor. Jim explained that he dove head on into their love scenes.
"I always...
- 11/8/2010
- by nobody@accesshollywood.com (AccessHollywood.com Editorial Staff)
- Access Hollywood
Actor Jim Carrey is returning to the silver screen for the holidays, and this time he's not dressed up in a green makeup trying to steal Christmas. I Love You Phillip Morris opens December 3rd in NY, La, and San Francisco with nationwide expansion through December. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CXnwkh_Oro[/youtube] Synopsis : I Love You Phillip Morris is the improbable but true story of a spectacularly charismatic conman's journey from small-town businessman to flamboyant white-collar criminal, who repeatedly finds himself in trouble with the law and on the lam, brilliantly escaping from the Texas prison system on four separate occasions - all in the name of love. Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) leads a seemingly average life - an organ player in the local church, happily married to Debbie (Leslie Mann), and a member of the local police force. That is until he has a severe car accident that leads him to the ultimate...
- 10/28/2010
- by Buzzfocus Staff
- BuzzFocus.com
It’s been a long and difficult road for I Love You Phillip Morris. After its showing at Sundance back in January of last year, it embarked on a series of delays due to distributor issues as well as a lawsuit filed by producers EuropaCorp. When all hope looked lost, in came Roadside Attractions (the distributors behind Winter’s Bone and The Cove, amongst others) to save it from purgatory. Come December 3rd, the movie will finally see release in the United States and the promotion has begun with both an official poster and a red band trailer released. Now, the official theatrical trailer has come out and you can check it out below courtesy of Yahoo.
Synopsis: I Love You Phillip Morris tells the (based on true events) tale of Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), a man happily married to Debbie (Leslie Mann) until a serious car accident leads him to reassess his life.
Synopsis: I Love You Phillip Morris tells the (based on true events) tale of Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), a man happily married to Debbie (Leslie Mann) until a serious car accident leads him to reassess his life.
- 10/28/2010
- by Jonathan Sullivan
- The Film Stage
Filed under: Reviews, Cinematical, Festivals
For many of us, it's been a long wait to see 'I Love You Phillip Morris,' which has had its release date pushed back numerous times because of distribution difficulties. It's so easy to feel let down by a film you've waited a long time to see. Happily, however, the film adapted and directed by the 'Bad Santa' writing team -- due in American theaters starting in December -- did not disappoint, with a wonderfully skewed sense of humor keeping a love story from becoming overly sentimental.
'I Love You Phillip Morris' is based on a nonfiction book by Houston journalist Steven McVicker, about real-life con man/prison escape maestro Steven Russell. Russell, played by Jim Carrey in the film, is an average Southern guy -- ex-policeman, working successfully in the produce business, happily married to a nice Christian...
For many of us, it's been a long wait to see 'I Love You Phillip Morris,' which has had its release date pushed back numerous times because of distribution difficulties. It's so easy to feel let down by a film you've waited a long time to see. Happily, however, the film adapted and directed by the 'Bad Santa' writing team -- due in American theaters starting in December -- did not disappoint, with a wonderfully skewed sense of humor keeping a love story from becoming overly sentimental.
'I Love You Phillip Morris' is based on a nonfiction book by Houston journalist Steven McVicker, about real-life con man/prison escape maestro Steven Russell. Russell, played by Jim Carrey in the film, is an average Southern guy -- ex-policeman, working successfully in the produce business, happily married to a nice Christian...
- 10/26/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Moviefone
Filed under: Reviews, Cinematical, Festivals
For many of us, it's been a long wait to see 'I Love You Phillip Morris,' which has had its release date pushed back numerous times because of distribution difficulties. It's so easy to feel let down by a film you've waited a long time to see. Happily, however, the film adapted and directed by the 'Bad Santa' writing team -- due in American theaters starting in December -- did not disappoint, with a wonderfully skewed sense of humor keeping a love story from becoming overly sentimental.
'I Love You Phillip Morris' is based on a nonfiction book by Houston journalist Steven McVicker, about real-life con man/prison escape maestro Steven Russell. Russell, played by Jim Carrey in the film, is an average Southern guy -- ex-policeman, working successfully in the produce business, happily married to a nice Christian...
For many of us, it's been a long wait to see 'I Love You Phillip Morris,' which has had its release date pushed back numerous times because of distribution difficulties. It's so easy to feel let down by a film you've waited a long time to see. Happily, however, the film adapted and directed by the 'Bad Santa' writing team -- due in American theaters starting in December -- did not disappoint, with a wonderfully skewed sense of humor keeping a love story from becoming overly sentimental.
'I Love You Phillip Morris' is based on a nonfiction book by Houston journalist Steven McVicker, about real-life con man/prison escape maestro Steven Russell. Russell, played by Jim Carrey in the film, is an average Southern guy -- ex-policeman, working successfully in the produce business, happily married to a nice Christian...
- 10/26/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Cinematical
A red band trailer for "I Love You Phillip Morris" has been made available for viewing pleasure to remind people of the upcoming U.S. release. Consolidated Pictures Group will distribute it in limited U.S. theaters on December 3 after they scrapped initial plans to drop it in April reportedly because of public's reaction to the film's sexual content.
In the movie, Jim Carrey portrays Steven Russell, a local Texas policeman who is happily married to Debbie (Leslie Mann). But a car accident provokes a dramatic reassessment of his life. He becomes open about his homosexuality. His new lifestyle apparently costs him a lot of money and turns him into a conman.
His actions land himself in Texas' prison, where he meets and falls in love with a sensitive fellow inmate Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor. What ensues can only be described as a relentless quest as Russell attempts...
In the movie, Jim Carrey portrays Steven Russell, a local Texas policeman who is happily married to Debbie (Leslie Mann). But a car accident provokes a dramatic reassessment of his life. He becomes open about his homosexuality. His new lifestyle apparently costs him a lot of money and turns him into a conman.
His actions land himself in Texas' prison, where he meets and falls in love with a sensitive fellow inmate Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor. What ensues can only be described as a relentless quest as Russell attempts...
- 10/22/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
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