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Man
On The Moon (1999)
This
is a fine film. Great acting. Wonderful direction. Interesting
story. But who on Earth really needs to see it? Almost
everything we need to know, we already do, if we've
seen the documentary on Andy Kaufman that's played on
TV several times. Kaufman's life is the stuff of legend.
And with "Man on the Moon," the legend is replayed.
But it is surely much more interesting, much more fulfilling
and much more intimate to watch a documentary about
Kaufman than to see his life story here.
Jim
Carrey plays Kaufman to eerie perfection. His gift for
mimicry surely works to his greatest advantage yet in
his career. He imbues Andy with a bit of heart, perhaps
a bit more than anyone truly saw in Andy at the time.
But Kaufman was a difficult man to understand and appreciate.
Now, years later, that we're in on the joke, Andy's
life seems like so much more a profound message and
"performance art" piece than a career. But, was the
joke on us? Andy's "Foreign Man," for example, became
TV's "Taxi's" Latka. I still remember seeing Andy on
TV in the 70's doing "Saturday Night Live," "Johnny
Carson," and, of course, "Taxi." We all loved him. That
fact that he hated doing "Taxi" and considered the populace
his "rubes" doesn't really seem to ingratiate him to
us now.
Carrey
also gets to interact with one of the best actresses
late 90's cinema has to offer, Courtney Love. This is
not sarcasm. There are few better actresses working
in film today. Sure, there is zero chemistry between
Love and Carrey but this sort of fits the bill for a
story about Kaufman. Love doesn't even enter the film
until way into the second hour, so she has little chance
to establish a character or evolve with Carrey. Still,
she shimmers in every scene she appears in and it is
impossible not to lovewatching her on film.
Milos
Forman does an adequate job of presenting the art of
Andy and the biopic we want. But the film, like "The
People vs. Larry Flynt," can't seem to get at the "heart"
of the matter. There's no fucking emotion here. Foreman
seems incapable of truly getting deep and resonant characters
out of his actors. His last two films, these biopics
of modern rebels, only seem to skim the surface of possibilities.
For example, the entire cast of "Taxi" reprise their
roles here (with the exception of Danny DeVito, who
plays Andy's manager George in the biopic and Tony Danza
who isn't anywhere to be seen). Judd Hirsch, Marilu
Henner, Christopher Lloyd, Carol Kane, and Jeff Conaway
are all here, looking ridiculously old, in a montage
of Carrey playing Andy playing Latka on TV. But it means
almost nothing. No insight is really gained to his coworkers
reaction to what kind of person Andy was. Instead, it's
like watching a Gus Van Sant exact cinematic replica
of a "Nick at Night" promo spot. And when it comes to
Andy's other "work," this is all covered in the video
documentary. And that document is a much better, more
clear,picture of Andy.
Why
don't we love Andy by the end of this film? Why aren't
are hearts broken? Perhaps the film is more concerned
with irony and verisimilitude than with presenting an
emotional picture for us to become engaged in. At best,
for true fans of Andy, it exposes perhaps only one new
fact. And, in the brilliance that is the incomprehension
of Andy's life, perhaps this new fact is, in and of
itself, a wrinkle in the truth as it was. Perhaps Bob
Zmuda, Andy's longtime collaborator who is part of the
film, brings forth this moment as the final "surprise"
in a true homage to Andy - andhis work.
Of
course, this does not make the film really worth the
price of admission. At best, perhaps the film, with
it's mega-star, will introduce a whole new legion of
young fans to Andy Kaufman's work and life. Perhaps,
after plunking down their Mom's 7 bucks to see this
film, they'll become enamoured with Andy and search
out more about him. They'll find the old videos of his
work and the made for TV documentaries about his life.
Then, and only then, will they truly begin to understand
and appreciate the enigma and the magic that was Andy
Kaufman. And maybe, just maybe, a new voice in the spirit
of Andy will rise out of this younger generation. And
find the capacity and the talent to continually keep
us guessing. I eagerly await that voice.
Note:
Music by R.E.M., who covered Andy's work in their song,
"Man on the Moon." I'm still not sure exactly what that
songand it's title mean.
Also
with cameos by Jerry Lawler, Randall Carver, Tom Dreesen,
Budd Friedman, David Letterman, Paul Shaffer, Lorne
Michaels, Jim Ross, and Caroline Rhea all as themselves.
Cast includes Peter Bonerz (playing a "Taxi" co-creator
Ed Weinberger, but seeming more like a TV sitcom director,
a job he has held many times), Norm MacDonald (playing
Michael Richards), and Michael Villani (as Merv Griffin).
Written
by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Produced by
Zmuda, DeVito, and George Shapiro among others.
It was said that wrestler Lawler gave Carrey a minor
neck injury while filming a scene in which he gave Kaufman
a neckinjury.
The
credits list Tony Clifton as "Himself."
Other
places to see Andy Kaufman:
TV
Shows:
Taxi
Van
Dyke and Company
Saturday
Night Live (several appearances between 1975-82)
Fridays
(1980 host)
The
Dating Game (1978 appearance)
The
Tonight Show/David Letterman/Merv, etc...
Movies:
Heartbeeps
In
God We Tru$t
God
Told Me To
Video:
The
Andy Kaufman Special
Thank
You Vedy Much
Andy Kaufman: The Midnight Special
Other:
My
Dinner with Blassie (Andy's short which is a take off
on "My Dinner with Andre")
I'm From Hollywood (video documentary about Andy's wrestlingcareer)
Report
Card
Script:
D
Acting: A+
Cinematography\Lighting: B+
Special Effects\Make Up: A+
Music:A+
Final
Grade: C+
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