OK so another post and this will cover the comedy film, Liar Liar starring a slightly more sanitised Jim Carrey (but not much!) than we have seen in his previous movies up to this point. So let's suit up, get the truth hat on (is there such a thing???) and look at this un....
So the film begins with Fletcher Reede (Carrey) its main character who is an ambitious lawyer but is also a compulsive liar which causes tension between his ex-wife Audrey (Maura Tierney) and his young son Max (Justin Cooper) as he often breaks his promises to them. Fletcher however in his work is in a promising position to gain a big promotion as he is given a client Samantha Cole (Jennifer Tilly) who is a two-timing divorcee who is looking to try and secure very wealthy marital assets from her ex-husband. And while Samantha is initially willing to play fair with her ex-husband Fletcher persuades her to be ruthless and go after all she can get, which impresses another attorney, Miranda (Amanda Donohoe). Fletcher makes another promise to Max that he will try and make it for his birthday but instead he is caught up with Miranda and they have sex and he calls up and lies again to Audrey. This leaves Max feeling dejected and when making a birthday wish he wishes that for one whole day his dad couldn't tell a lie. However the wish suddenly becomes true as after Fletcher has had sex with Miranda and she asks if it was good for him he replies "I've had better!" and she throws him out of her office.
The next morning Fletcher get's up and soon realises that he is unable to lie, which causes him much embarrassment in public where he blurts out what he is really thinking. Fletcher as a result ends up offending many of his office colleagues and he even get's his car impounded when he is pulled over for speeding and reveals he has unpaid parking tickets. And when Audrey comes to help out Fletcher by paying for his car to be released from the impound she tells him that if he lies to Max once more she will leave with Max and her new boyfriend Jerry (Cary Elwes) and go to Boston, which she was considering doing. Fletcher begs her not to go as he wants to talk things out which Audrey agrees to but warns him if he doesn't show she will leave with Max that night, but before she goes she tells him that Max made the wish. Fletcher then goes to see Max at school and tries to persuade him to make a wish to take the lie back but it doesn't work as Max doesn't really believe it and that his dad makes him feel bad. Dejected Fletcher goes back to this office and contemplates what he can do next.
Fletcher later on appears at court where he meets with his client Samantha and her lover, Kenneth Faulk (Chip Mayer) both whom are willing to commit perjury to hide their affair. Fletcher however realises he cannot ask questions in court to which he knows the answer is a lie and while he is in court desparately tries to postpone the hearing but fails, despite his best attempts to do so by beating himself up in the men's toilet. After administering his self beating, Fletcher is taken back into court but the Judge asks him if he can continue and Fletcher is forced to say yes leaving him no choice but to carry on. And its from here Fletcher has to try and find a way to win the case without telling a lie and also trying to do his best to patch up his fragile relationship with Audrey and Max....
It has to be said that Liar Liar is easily one of Jim Carey's funniest films and in a way it is something of breath of fresh air in his career up to this point as Carey's previous films were all a bit too whacky and zany. But here Carey is brought a bit more down to earth and put in a relatively plausible story of a slightly crooked lawyer trying to further his own career but at the same time he risks putting his relationship with his own son at risk due to his irresponsbility and his lying. And also somewhat incredibly the film actually manages to somehow ground itself in reality quite well, despite Fletcher's ridiculous over the top antics at times in the office or court and the film's rather daft premise in general. But its the balance of the antics, the silly premise and a bit of reality thrown in is what makes the film appealing.
Which brings me onto the film's performances which are overall pretty good, starting with Jim Carrey who is great in his role as Fletcher and its very much his own star vehicle. Carrey also clearly has a ball with the concept of the film with Fletcher being forced on many occassions to tell the truth no matter how offensive or embarrassing it might sound. So naturally Carrey has quite a few highlights in the film of which I will mention a few starting off with the scene where he is in the lift with the pretty young woman with a rather nice big chest. And Fletcher asks her how she is getting on and when the woman says "Everyone has been so nice" Fletcher blurts out "That's because you have big jugs!" and the women looks aghast and he tries to correct himself but can't and continues "I mean your boobs are huge! I mean I wanna squeeze em!" and makes a noise like a baby and goes "Mama!". Also there is the scene where Fletcher has his car impounded and Audrey pays for it to be released from the impound and Fletcher notices a scratch on the car and accuses the motorpool attendant of making the scratch. And Fletcher yells "You LIAR! You know what I'm gonna about this?! Nothing! Because if I take it to small claims court, it will just drain 8 hours out of my life and you probably won't show up and even if I got the judgment you'd just stiff me anyway; so what I am going to do is piss and moan like an impotent jerk, and then bend over and take it up the tailpipe!".
Then there is the scene where Fletcher desparately tries to make himself say a simple lie by holding a blue pen and trying to so its red, but instead he blurts out "The colour of pen I hold in my hand is rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroyal blue!!!". And as he tries to write the lie his own writing hand attacks him and he ends up doodling the word all over his face only to then have his assistant, Greta (Anne Haney) walk and he says to her in dispair "The pen is blue! The pen is blue! THE GODDAMN PEN IS BLUE!!". Another funny moment is when Greta gives the phone over to Fletcher to give a criminal client of his some legal advice and Fletcher takes the phone and yells at the receiver "STOP BREAKING THE LAW ASSHOLE!!!!!". Then there is there scene where Fletcher is forced to tell the law firm's main partner, Mr Allen (Ryan Mitchell) what he thinks of him after Miranda overhears he can't lie. So Fletcher painfully says "He's a pedantic, pontificating, pretentious bastard, a belligerent old fart, a worthless steaming pile of cow dung, figuratively speaking" only to have it backfire on Miranda as Allen bursts out laughing and get's him to roast the other people in the boardroom. Another funny scene from Carrey also comes when Fletcher in court waits for Samantha to arrive and the Judge asks if they are ready to begin and he yells out "No your honour! We are not ready to begin because my client is not yet arrived!" and she enters the courtroom seconds later and Fletcher sings out "HERE SHE COMES TO WRECK THE DAY!!!". And later in the court scene where Fletcher questions Samantha himself and he makes refers to her vital statistics and a crude joke about the size of her big boobs and he says "Weight 105???? Yeah! In your bra!". I will also have to mention the scene where an awkward Fletcher walks out of the lift in his office and we see a group of people hold their noses in the lift as he obviously let one go and he turns around admits "IT WAS ME!!!" (which just so happens to be the exact scene where this photo is from!).
Carrey also shares some nice moments in the film as Fletcher with his son Max and it allows for him to utilise his playfulness with kids. This can be seen in the film where Fletcher has Max visiting him in his office and he tells Max he has a present for him but he sticks the present in a large box underneath his t-shirt and he says "I accidentally swallowed it! Let's hope its not digested! Scalpel!" and he pretends to cut it out and it plops out from his t-shirt. Then there is the scene where Fletcher meets with Max at school and he tells Max his wish came true and Max asks him some questions one of which is "If I keep making this face? (pulls a funny face) Will it end up that way?" and Fletcher "Uh-uh, in fact some people make a good living that way!". And last of all there is the moments wher Fletcher produces the claw which he uses to tickle to his son and he says "NOTHING CAN STOP THE CLAW!!!!".
As for the supporting they are also pretty good starting with Maura Tierney as Fletcher's ex-wife who suffers him and his lies. Maura has some nice moments in the film as well such as the scene where Audrey argues with Fletcher about how his behaviour impacts on Max and Fletcher tries to defend himself but ends up saying "I'm a bad father!" which really hits him. And Audrey says "You're not a bad father, when you show up". And also just as Audrey is about to drive off she says to Fletcher "Do you know what your son was doing at 8:15 last night? He was making a wish that for a whole day his father couldn't tell a lie". Justin Cooper is also not too bad in his part as Max, Fletcher's young son who is continually let down by his father although I'm a bit perplexed as to why he has a haircut that harks back to the 1970s!
Anne Laney is also fine in her part as Fletcher's assistant Greta, who has a good scene where she asks Fletcher an awkward question when she asks about a raise she didn't get from him and she says "So you said you wanted to give me one out of your own pocket, but it would create jealously among the other secretaries. Now, was that true, or did you just not want to pony up the dough?!". And in the next scene Greta clears her desk and as Fletcher begs her not to go she turns and says "Mr. Reede, several years ago a friend of mine had a burglar on her roof, a burglar. He fell through the kitchen skylight, landed on a cutting board, on a butcher's knife, cutting his leg. The burglar sued my friend, he sued my friend. And because of guys like you HE WON! My friend had to pay the burglar $6,000. Is that justice?!". And Fletcher says "No." but as Greta looks pleased, he blurts out "I'd have gotten him 10!". And Fletcher makes one last ditch attempt to keep her from going by saying "I'll give you the raise!" and she gives him the finger saying "here's your raise!".
Jennifer Tilly while she isn't the best actress in the world she does actually do quite well in her role as the sleazy two-timing Samantha Cole. And Jennifer has a couple of good scenes one where Fletcher persuades Samanatha to go after her husband for his money and she says to him "You're right Mr Reed! I am tired of being kicked around!". And later on in court Samantha arrives with her kids and Fletcher says "You brought your own kids to your divorce hearing??" and Samantha cooly says "Sympathy" and Fletcher snaps back "Its working. I'm feeling sorry for them already!". And lastly during the court hearing, Fletcher tries to tell Samantha he can't lie, she grabs him by his tie and yells "I want my money! I am not going to end up a thirty-one year old divorcée on welfare because my scumbag attorney had a sudden attack of conscience!".
Carey Elwes is also quite good in his role as the somewhat dorky Jerry, Audrey's boyfriend whom tries to make an attempt at being a second dad to Max and also makes a pretty feeble attempt at the "claw" to impress Max. Amanda Donohoe is very good in her role as the conniving attorney, Miranda who ends up sleeping with Fletcher and she asks him "That was amazing. Was it as good for you as it was for me?" only for him to say "I've had better!". And later on as Miranda tries to catch up with Fletcher he sticks his fingers in his ears and runs away and she says "You can run but you can't hide!".
And last of all Jason Bernard is great in his role as Judge Marshall Stephens who sadly passed away not long after the film was completed. Bernard has some good moments in the court scenes such as the moment where he asks how they are all doing and Fletcher makes the rather embarrassing revelation that he had "a bad sexual episode" and the Judge matter of factly says "Well you're young it will happen more as you get older!". And the Judge during Fletcher's crazed defence says at one point "It is only out of sheer morbid curiosity that I am allowing this freak show to continue!". And lastly when Fletcher asks for a bathroom break the Judge asks crankily "Can't it wait?" and Fletcher says it can but if "you hold it in you could damage the prostate which could make it difficult to have an erection or even become aroused!" and the Judge says "Is that true?" and Fletcher says "It has to be!" and the Judge then says "Well in that case I better take a break myself!".
Finally getting onto the director wise Tom Shadyac who does a fine job here and he keeps the film going at a breezy pace and keeps it all pretty light hearted even if the jokes are pretty crude at times and it easily stands as one of his best efforts. Music wise the film features a somewhat schmaltzy but pleasant score by John Debney which is quite appropriate and keeping well in with the tone of the film during its quieter and more manic moments.
So as for Liar Liar's flaws...... yes there are one or two, to kick off it has to be said that Fletcher is a bit of an obnoxious arsehole and while he is forced at the hands of his son's birthday wish to blurt out the truth of what he thinks of everyone that truth often is pretty harsh and cynical sounding, which shows him up to be actually a bit mean spirited. And on this basis when you think about it and the humour aside, Fletcher is actually quite a hard character to root for although to be fair he does start to redeem himself as the film carries on. I also thought the film was also a bit sexist and Shadyac is no stranger at times in potraying some of the women in his films as lying and deceitful and for the want of a better word, sluts, and this is certainly the case with both Samantha and Miranda here. And lastly I also felt that Max was a bit of an annoying little twerp at times as he really does put some heavy burdening and guilt on his dad who despite his lying is actually a good father to him (well when he shows up). Also Max seems to really get his way with his wishes, which suggests he could be capable of wishing of anything he really wanted, but as such the film's premise is pretty silly anyway as why didn't he just wish he was a millionaire or something??? But hey it is only a film.
And that's it for my exhaustive look at Liar Liar which is easily one of Jim Carrey's best comedies and if you haven't seen it, give it a watch.
And with that I shall be back some time soon with another post for ya.
Until then bye for now!
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