I Love You, Phillip Morris

Directed by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra and based on the titular book by Steven McVicker, this unbelievable-but-true black comedy tells the story of a bizarre sociopath whose life experiences follow a jaw-dropping trajectory. When we're first introduced to Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), he's a devoutly religious, seemingly happy, small-town Georgia police officer with a lovely wife (Leslie Mann) and family. But after an automobile accident, Steven awakens and tells paramedics that he's gay before fleeing to Florida, where he takes up with an expensive-to-maintain South Beach pretty-boy named Jimmy (Rodrigo Santoro). Desperate for cash, Steven turns to insurance fraud, but winds up in a Texas penitentiary, where he meets a sweetly sensitive Southerner named Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), who is incarcerated for grand theft auto. A facile con man, Steven moves into Phillip's cell. Determined to build a life with Phillip after they're released, Steven impersonates a lawyer and then manages to wangle a CFO position at a medical management firm, where he embezzles millions. Wallowing in silly, lurid stereotypes and smirking, stale clichés, this tone-deaf film suffers from Carrey's callow clowning. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary (by filmmakers John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, producers Andrew Lazar and Far Shariat, chief lighting technician Max Pomerleau, and cinematographer Xavier Pérez Grobet), deleted scenes (17 min.), a “making-of” featurette (12 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an uneven film.] (S. Granger)