The Truman Show

After seeing several of Jim Carrey's earlier movies I thought that this film would be as silly as the others. I was wrong! It was moving, touching and provoked much conversation around the table that night. Jim Carrey plays Truman Burbank, an insurance salesman in a small town called Seaview. Little does he know that every single moment of his life has been on TV. The movie picks up on day 10,909 of the continual broadcast as Truman begins to suspect that something is wrong. Everything seems to revolve around him and it makes him very uneasy. Most of the film is shown from the same viewpoint as a person watching the TV show would see. Details of his life are shown in flashbacks of previous 'episodes' and some 'real life' views of people watching Truman. The whole world seems obsessed with Truman and his life, some even keeping the TV on over night. Ed Harris is brilliant as the creator and director of the show. Even the minor roles are played with style and human warmth. As Truman comes closer to the truth you will find yourself as riveted to the screen as the viewers in the movie. The idea for this movie came in part from the JenniCam where a young Washington D.C. woman shows her whole life on the internet. One has to wonder about how far will this voyeuristic trend take us in a society where privacy is passé and the lives of celebrities are constantly on view.  The direction is strong to the point, the acting makes this a nearly great film. Unfortunately, the 1998 Oscars forgot about the performances in this film.

The DVD is excellent. The sound is clear, the surround features realistic. The video was well done without any noticeable MPEG artifacts. As with most Paramount DVDs, it is light on the added features and lacks an English subtitle track. This one is certainly a keeper and well worth the investment.