Yes Man (C or 2/4 stars)
Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is a No man. But that all changes after he signs up for a self-help program based on 1 simple covenant: to say "Yes" to everything. Carl had been getting himself in trouble as a No man; both personally & professionally. But by saying Yes, his life starts going in some amazing & unexpected directions. Promotions loom for Carl. And even a romance is in store; all because of that one word. But is saying "Yes" always a good thing? In 'Yes Man', directed by Peyton Reed, the word may be too much of a good thing. The comedy in this movie is standard (including Carrey's famous verbal asides & self-deprecating behavior). The plot is thin (giving him little to work with). And the romance is tepid. But overall ... it does make for a decent outing at the theater.
Carl has spent most of his life saying No at every opportunity (he'd rather rent movies & chill by himself than answer his cell phone voice-mails). Nothing is spontaneous with him; everything is planned. But plans change when a friend (John Michael Higgins) drags him to a cult-like seminar run by New Age guru Terrence Bundley (a campy Terrence Stamp). He preaches the power of Yes & singles-out Carl to enter into a covenant whereby he'll say Yes to absolutely everything. Sounds dangerous, right? Things don't go well at first. He drives a bum 'home'; then gives him all of his $$. When Carl's car runs out of gas, he has to walk (late at night) to the nearest gas station. But this negative occurrence leads to something positive; which proves true for him for much of the rest of the movie ...
At the gas station, he meets Allison (Zooey Deschanel), a younger woman who is many ways his complete opposite; the Ying to his Yang. They hit it off. And his saying "Yes" to everything makes her think him to be the fun, spontaneous boyfriend she always hoped she'd find. The plot moves along fine through the first 2/3's of the film; including a funny sequence where the couple goes on an unplanned vacation to Nebraska. But after she asks Carl if they should move in together ... he hiccups. A pause. Saying "Yes" was not automatic. And this leads her to contemplate their relationship. Contrivances occur (involving the police), and Allison breaks it off with Carl. Can he win her back? Will "Yes" work anymore? Maybe "Maybe" is the ultimate answer to his newfound problems?
'Yes Man' is a completely undemanding movie. That is probably its strongest suit. The tone is light & enjoyable. The characters are broadly sketched, but well executed. The use of music in the movie (Journey) is brilliant. The humor is hit & miss. The "Yes" premise/concept of the plot is initially interesting. But none of these attributes really gel to make a good motion picture. Jim Carrey is getting older & mellower, but his physical humor can still make me laugh (at times). Zooey Deschanel is an odd duck. She's cute, but odd. And I don't think the chemistry between she & Carrey worked all of the time. 'Yes Man' winds up being an ok, generic romantic comedy with bursts of pervasive humor sprinkled throughout. It's not awful, but nothing particularly special, either.
Carl has spent most of his life saying No at every opportunity (he'd rather rent movies & chill by himself than answer his cell phone voice-mails). Nothing is spontaneous with him; everything is planned. But plans change when a friend (John Michael Higgins) drags him to a cult-like seminar run by New Age guru Terrence Bundley (a campy Terrence Stamp). He preaches the power of Yes & singles-out Carl to enter into a covenant whereby he'll say Yes to absolutely everything. Sounds dangerous, right? Things don't go well at first. He drives a bum 'home'; then gives him all of his $$. When Carl's car runs out of gas, he has to walk (late at night) to the nearest gas station. But this negative occurrence leads to something positive; which proves true for him for much of the rest of the movie ...
At the gas station, he meets Allison (Zooey Deschanel), a younger woman who is many ways his complete opposite; the Ying to his Yang. They hit it off. And his saying "Yes" to everything makes her think him to be the fun, spontaneous boyfriend she always hoped she'd find. The plot moves along fine through the first 2/3's of the film; including a funny sequence where the couple goes on an unplanned vacation to Nebraska. But after she asks Carl if they should move in together ... he hiccups. A pause. Saying "Yes" was not automatic. And this leads her to contemplate their relationship. Contrivances occur (involving the police), and Allison breaks it off with Carl. Can he win her back? Will "Yes" work anymore? Maybe "Maybe" is the ultimate answer to his newfound problems?
'Yes Man' is a completely undemanding movie. That is probably its strongest suit. The tone is light & enjoyable. The characters are broadly sketched, but well executed. The use of music in the movie (Journey) is brilliant. The humor is hit & miss. The "Yes" premise/concept of the plot is initially interesting. But none of these attributes really gel to make a good motion picture. Jim Carrey is getting older & mellower, but his physical humor can still make me laugh (at times). Zooey Deschanel is an odd duck. She's cute, but odd. And I don't think the chemistry between she & Carrey worked all of the time. 'Yes Man' winds up being an ok, generic romantic comedy with bursts of pervasive humor sprinkled throughout. It's not awful, but nothing particularly special, either.