Based on the memoir by Steven McVicker, I Love You Phillip Morris is the story of a conman who falls for an inmate as he would escape several times to be with his lover. Written for the screen and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the film is black comedy based on the life of Steven Jay Russell and relationship with Morris as Russell is portrayed by Jim Carrey and Morris is played by Ewan McGregor. Also starring Rodrigo Santoro, Antoni Corone, and Leslie Mann. I Love You Phillip Morris is a charming and off-the-wall film from Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.
The film is based on the true story of a con man whose exploits in pretending to be a lawyer and later a chief financial officer for a corporation to create a lifestyle for himself and his lover. Yet, it is a very comical film of sorts as it is largely told by Steven Jay Russell as he lies on his deathbed talking about his own life and how he met Phillip Morris in prison as they would forge a relationship. The film’s screenplay by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa is largely told from Russell’s perspective as a man who had a hard time finding himself as he knows he’s gay but couldn’t come out except have trysts with other men in secrecy while being married to a woman and having a daughter. After a car accident where he has an epiphany, he decides to embrace his homosexuality and gain a lover but realizes how expensive the gay lifestyle is as he would use his skills from his time as a policeman in Texas to con people which would get him in trouble and lose his first lover Jimmy (Rodrigo Santoro) until he meets Morris in prison.
The script does show how flawed Russell is someone who is flawed as he is a man with good intention yet does bad things. Even as he would lie to Morris who is kept in the dark about what Russell does as he is just someone that is just a good person, who got in trouble for grand theft auto, where he eventually realizes what Russell is doing. Adding to Russell’s troubles is the fact that he would put himself into situations that are overwhelming as he would charm and lie his way to get the job done as he would raise suspicions among those he meet.
The direction of Ficarra and Requa is quite straightforward while displaying some bits of style. Shot largely in Louisiana with some of the film shot in Miami, it play into a world that is set mainly in the American South such as places like Texas, Virginia Beach, and Miami where it is quite conservative at times but also leaning toward embracing the idea of homosexuality. Much of the compositions are simple yet Ficarra and Requa would create something that is comical as well as offbeat such as scene where Russell and Morris are sharing a jail cell as they’re dancing to Johnny Mathis while the guy in the next cell is mouthing off at the guards. There are some wide shots yet Ficarra and Requa would more favor intimate compositions in the close-ups and medium shots while they would also create scenes that are playful and fun but also have this air of drama in the third act. Especially in the fact that it starts off very bleak with Russell lying on his deathbed as he would tell his story through voiceover narration which help add to the film’s offbeat tone. Overall, Ficarra and Requa create a witty yet heartfelt film about a con man trying to provide and bring happiness to the man that he loves.
Cinematographer Xavier Perez Grobet does excellent work with the film’s colorful cinematography with the vibrancy of the exterior scenes in Miami and Louisiana as Texas as well as some of the interiors including the starkly-lit scenes set in prison. Editor Thomas J. Nordberg does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts for a few scenes as well as emphasizing on straightforward editing techniques to play into the drama and humor. Production designer Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski, with set decorator Cynthia Anne Slagter and art director Helen Harwell, does fantastic work with the look of some of the homes the characters live in as well as Russell’s office where he’s a CFO and some of the interiors at the prison. Costume designer David C. Robinson does nice work with the costumes as it has some style as it play into the late 90s gay lifestyle as well as something that is casual.
Visual effects supervisor Jim Rider does terrific work with some of the minimal visual effects that include a sequence about the clouds into what Russell saw as a child. Sound designer Paul Urmson does superb work with the sound as it play into the intense atmosphere of the prison as well as some of the quieter moments that play into the comedy and drama. The film’s music by Nick Urata is wonderful as it’s a low-key orchestral score play into humor and drama while music supervisor Gary Calamar creates an amazing soundtrack that features music from Johnny Mathis, Devotchka, Robbie Dupree, and Nina Simone.
The casting on Bernard Telsey is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Michael Mandel as a tough prisoner named Cleavon who is an unwilling messenger for Russell and Morris, Annie Golden as a friend of Morris who turns to Russell for help on a legal thing, Marylouise Burke as Russell’s biological mother who rejects him, David Jensen as a judge that is conned by Russell, Brennan Brown as a financial executive who is suspicious of Russell’s work in finance, and Antoni Corone as a financial guru who would hire Russell unaware that Russell is conning him. Leslie Mann is wonderful as Russell’s ex-wife Debbie who is a woman that is supportive of her husband coming out yet is taken aback by his schemes. Rodrigo Santoro is superb as Jimmy as Russell’s first lover who is suspicious of what Russell is doing as he is also not fond of what he learns about Russell’s actions as a con man.
Finally, there’s the duo of Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Steven Jay Russell and Phillip Morris. McGregor gives a very heartfelt and kind performance as a man that just wants to help people and isn’t ashamed of his homosexuality as he also sports a fine Southern accent. Carrey is definitely the livelier of the two in terms of the way he expresses himself physically but also do it in a restrained manner so that it wouldn’t be entirely comical as he balances that with a sense of humility and determination. Carrey and McGregor together don’t just have this chemistry that is enchanting but also very touching as they make themselves to be this very loving couple that is just a delight to socialize with.
I Love You Phillip Morris is a tremendous film from Glenn Ficarra and John Requa that features incredible performances from Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. Along with top-notch supporting performances from Leslie Mann and Rodrigo Santoro as well as a funny and heartwarming script, the film is definitely a romantic comedy that doesn’t play by the rules as well as showcase homosexuality in a very kind and warm approach. In the end, I Love You Phillip Morris is a sensational film from Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.
Glenn Ficarra & John Requa Films: (Crazy, Stupid, Love) – (Focus (2015 film)) – (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot)
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Terry Zwigoff and written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, Bad Santa is the story of an alcoholic thief who dresses up as Santa Claus where he and his partner hope to rob a mall where he copes with his own self-loathing but also help a young kid. The film is a dark comedy where a man dressed up as Santa Claus tries to find reasons for living though he still feels like he is at odds with the world as the titular character is played by Billy Bob Thornton. Also starring Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, Tony Cox, Lauren Tom, Bernie Mac, Cloris Leachman, and John Ritter in his final film performance as Bob Chipeska. Bad Santa is an offbeat yet exhilarating film from Terry Zwigoff.
The film revolves around a pathetic, self-loathing alcoholic who works in malls dressed up as Santa Claus as part of an act where he and his midget-partner plan to steal money from malls during the holidays until the man meets a bullied young boy and finds himself caring for him. It’s a film that is sort of an anti-Christmas film in some ways yet it is really about this man that realizes that there is good in the world and doesn’t have to go into this world of self-destruction and self-loathing while can still be perverse such as his liaisons with a bartender who has a fetish for men in Santa’s clothing. It all plays into a world that is quite odd as this man named Willie T. Soke is just someone that is quite amoral as he spends his time in smalls having sex with whoever he sees, gets drunk, or does all sorts of things much to the annoyance of his partner Marcus (Tony Cox).
The film’s script by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, with re-writes by the film’s executive producers in Joel & Ethan Coen, doesn’t just explore Soke’s own disdain towards society and himself but also in the fact that he unknowingly finds himself being intrigued by this young boy who not only sees him as the real Santa but also someone he believes is actually good despite the awful shit he does. While Soke is seen early in the film being a skilled safecracker, it is clear that his attempts to be part of society fails because of his anti-social behavior which is fueled more by his alcoholism. Even as he ponders about his own purpose in life until he meets this kid where he realizes that he does have a reason to live. Still, he and Marcus have to do the job to steal things but they realize that a security officer named Gin (Bernie Mac) knows what is going on as he wants in on the action which only make things worse. Especially when Willie begins to have a change of heart as he realizes not just the true meaning of Christmas but also in doing what is right.
Terry Zwigoff’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates but also finds way to create moments that are very funny. While some of the comedic moments were helmed by an unknown filmmaker for its theatrical release, there are moments that is still Zwigoff’s film in the way he presents Soke as this pathetic, unruly man that is often obsessed with sleeping with women or just getting shit-faced. Shot largely on location in Los Angeles and parts of Southern California, the film does play into a world where it is warm in an odd way considering that it is set during the Xmas holidays. The usage of wide and medium shots do play into the look of the malls and some of the locations in California as Arizona. Yet, Zwigoff finds way to convey that sense of dark humor where it can toe the line over what is profane but also what is funny. Even in scenes that play into moments that are quite natural as well as showcase that Soke can be redeemed such as a scene where he beats up a bully and feeling very good afterwards. The climatic heist is filled with tension but also a bit of unexpected sentimentality as it relates to Soke’s own revelations about himself and doing what is right as it would end in a very funny way. Overall, Zwigoff creates a bawdy yet whimsical film about a self-loathing thief finding some meaning during the Xmas holidays.
Cinematographer Jamie Anderson does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to play into the colorful look of the locations in the day to the usage of lights for many of the interior scenes set at night. Editor Robert Hoffman does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s very funny moments. Production designer Sharon Seymour, with set decorator Robert Greenfield and art director Peter Borck, does fantastic work to the look of the mall as well as the home of the kid that Stokes befriends.
Costume designer Wendy Chuck does wonderful work with the costumes in creating some stylish costumes from the ragged look of Soke’s Santa suit to the clothes that Marcus wears as an elf. Sound editors Michael J. Benavente and Larry Kemp do terrific work with the sound from the way liquor bottles and such sound in the background along with the atmosphere of the malls. The film’s music by David Kitay is amazing for its mixture of piano-based music as well as playful orchestral touches while music supervisor Rachel Levy creates a fun soundtrack featuring a variety of Xmas standards along with some classical pieces to play into the film’s humor.
The casting by Felicia Fasano and Mary Vernieu do incredible work with the casting as it features some notable small roles from Ethan Phillips as the boy’s incarcerated father, Tom McGowan as the original mall Santa Claus who quits early in the film, Ajay Naidu as some nut job who attacks Soke over a misunderstanding, Alex Borstein as a mom from a different mall, Octavia Spencer as a prostitute Stokes know in Cleo, Matt Walsh as a neighbor who asks Soke about putting some decorations for the neighborhood, Max Van Ville as the kid’s bully, and Cloris Leachman in a very funny performance as the kid’s senile yet funny grandmother. Lauren Tom is wonderful as Marcus’ mail-order bride Lois who only cares for idiotic things.
Bernie Mac is fantastic as the mall security chief Gin Slagel as a man that is suspicious about Soke and Marcus only wanting half of what they steal in a bargain that makes Soke very uncomfortable. In his final film performance, John Ritter is excellent as the mall’s manager Bob Chipeska as a man that is trying to make sure things go smoothly as he is taken aback by Soke’s behavior as well as Marcus’ own appearance as it’s a very funny performance from Ritter. Lauren Graham is amazing as Sue as a bartender Soke befriends and goes out with as she has a fetish for guys in Santa suits while being a maternal figure for this young kid.
Brett Kelly is brilliant as this young kid named Thurman as someone that is constantly bullied while being fascinated by Soke as he sees someone that he can rely on. Tony Cox is great as Marcus as a midget with a fierce tongue as he is sort of the mastermind behind the thefts as he copes with Stokes’ growing incompetence and troubles where he finds himself doing a lot of the work. Finally, there’s Billy Bob Thornton in a phenomenal role as Willie T. Soke aka Bad Santa as this skilled but unhappy thief who drowns himself in self-loathing and alcohol as Thornton provides something that is very funny in its restraint and indifference but also some moments that are very somber as it relates to his yearning to find meaning in his life.
Bad Santa is a sensational film from Terry Zwigoff that features a winning and hilarious performance from Billy Bob Thornton in the leading role. Along with a great supporting cast and a witty premise, the film isn’t just an odd yet exhilarating dark comedy that is kind of the anti-Christmas film. It’s also a film that explores a man’s disdain towards society and helping this young kid stand out and not take shit from them. In the end, Bad Santa is an extraordinary film from Terry Zwigoff.
Terry Zwigoff Films: Louie Bluie - Crumb - Ghost World - Art School Confidential - The Auteurs #53: Terry Zwigoff
© thevoid99 2016
