The first and main problem with The Majestic is that it starts with Peter Appleton, Hollywood screenwriter. It doesn't start twenty minutes later when an amnesiac wakes up on a beach and is told by the small town that he is missing war hero Luke Trimble. If it did, the film might be passingly enjoyable. Instead, it is irritating as we sit there knowing 100% that this isn't Luke, it's Peter, and at some point this tedious plot must come to an end.
It's an uncomfortable experience, watching two plots, one where people think Peter is Luke but we know he's not, and one where people think Peter is a communist, but we know he's not, waiting for these two disparate strands to collide and us having to sit through it all.
And then comes the belief-stretching. Would they really just tell an amnesiac that he is Luke, with no evidence? Would they let him go home with his 'father'? Would they introduce him publicly to everyone? Peter spends the entire film apologising for not remembering anyone, and then apologising for not being Luke, and no one ever tells him it isn't his fault. I don't know much about the communist witch hunts, but the one in this film is far-reaching and over the top, which only adds to how unbelievably easily Peter gets out of it.
Despite an entire town, there are no characters. Peter never bonds with anyone, and they remain underdeveloped, as they all just smile and think of him as the Luke of nine and a half years ago, and they are all unbearably bland, especially Laurie Holden's romantic interest, Adele.
This film leaves a bitter taste. At first because the memory of Luke is simply trampled on, because now they don't have to mourn him, but who really cares about dull Mr Perfect Luke? Once people find out who Peter is, he's told that Luke was better than him, and he comes to believe this, despite Peter being a much more interesting character.
Despite being nearly two and a half hours long, this doesn't develop anything and has no depth. It confuses its own morals, and remains unsatisfying. Frankly, it's patronising and irritating and could have been a lot more intelligent.
Absolutely brilliant film with Jim Carrey playing one of his 'straight' movies with ease. It kept me enthralled and I would recommend this movie to anyone.
Loved this!! Love the time period. the plot is super interesting about a screenwriter who gets into an accident and loses his memory only to find himself in a town where everyone thinks he is LUKE who has been gone for 9 years. Is he Luke? Meanwhile there is a historical illusion regarding how screenwriters were attached by government authority regarding their communist views. Very intersting and a charming tale! :)
This movie is great! and Jim Carey takes a serious role for ounce-lol. I mean, this movie- It shos how the goverment will(and dose) actually act. At first it looked stupid but then I was amazed! I loved it, it was worth watching!
Directed by: Frank Darabont. Starring: Jim Carrey, Laurie Holden, Martin Landau, Jeffrey DeMunn, Bruce Campbell.
<< "I mean, this television thing. Why would you want to stay at home and watch a little box? Because it's convenient? Because you don't have to get dressed up, because you could just sit there? I mean, how can you call that entertainment, alone in your living room? Where's the other people? Where's the audience? Where's the magic? I'll tell you, in a place like this, the magic is all around you. The trick is to see it." >>
A small town story with such scale, Frank Darabont is in his zone here...and for all those haters who pull the movie down are simply wrong. An intentional throwback to the works of Capra, with all the familiar sweet sentimentality, The Majestic rises above the cliche with so much raw emotion that matches the intentionally forced, such rich characters and such respect for the idea of film, it really is one of the most underrated films to date.
Befoe seeing this film my opinion of Jim Carrey was very low. I thought he couldn't act and he only did stupid wacky films like Ace Ventura etc. Well after seeing this film i have changed my opinion. Carrey proves he can act in this film, which is wonderfully directed by Frank Darabont. The story is good and the entire film just had a likeability about it which i didn't expect. All in all a very good film and worth seeing.
Jim Carrey gives his best performance as a serious actor in this movie which was unfortunately a flop. 'Course, I'm always a fan of anti-McCarthy movies, but the performances and story are great as well and anyone interested in the 50s should enjoy this movie.
I don't know why I haven't seen this earlier. I thought it was a great movie and refreshing to see Carey do some acting instead of his usual fooling. Good work by all involved.
The problem with modern tributes to classic Hollywood is that the gee-whiz attitude and clean sentimentality must inevitably be forced where it used to be natural, invented where it used to exist. That innocent G-ratedness, a la Pleasantville, is a thing of the past, so movies like this always seem wanting.
Jim Carrey shows that he CAN be a dramatic actor when given the chance. Also one of the FEW movies that demonstrates what an experience (brief escape from the woes of reality) going to the movies can be!
I knew I was a true Matt Damon fan when I recognized his voice during the short voiceover. Ha! This is an okay movie, sorta blah. It's nice to see Jim Carrey act normally without making weirdo, stretchy faces. Not bad.
Jim Carey are funny really really funny but when he makes dramas he is a perfect actor and the movies always are like the best movies I have ever seen
This are surely one off them
After receiving a slew of appraisal after his film 'The Shawshank Redemption', Frank Darabont returns with another powerful drama. 'The Majestic' is simply a compelling, moving drama/romance about a movie screenwriter in the 1950s (played by Jim Carrey). Peter Appleton (Carrey) is an ambitious screenwriter who is celebrating the release of his first screenplay that came to fruition. When he is happy with his life, he is suspected of being a communist after supposedly participating in "un-American activities". He tries to leave town, but he is in an accident and when he wakes up he is in a small town with no memory of who he is. Peter is mistaken for a war hero named Luke who never returned from World War II. Before watching the movie I had no idea what to expect, and what I got was a surprisingly brilliant movie. An always superb performance from Jim Carrey is an interesting turn on his usual overzealous, hilarious characters he plays so often. I found the film a bit too long though, and it tended to bog around the middle. The end was purely fantastic though! Quite simply an amazing, enjoyable heart warming drama that I recommend.
Who said Jim Carrey can't do dramas?! WHO SAID THAT?! It's a lie. Ok, first of, this is the type of movie that gets you on your couch the whole 2 hours and a little something more. Yes, it's long. Yes, it's amazing. The ones who can't approve Carrey's character because they can't imagine anything else but the rhino scene from Ace Ventura, please, stop watching movies because you certainly weren't born for that.
A pretty decent movie. I like the whole communist paranoia they have in the movie. I also like the performances. Darabont knows how to make a period film. Jim Carrey showed he's a pretty good actor. A very good emotional film.
Having done my best to avoid Jim Carrey over the years I was eventually persuaded to watch one of his more serious roles and having loved that I am now catching up with all of his more serious roles. Yes, hoorah, the man really can act after all and that is particularly obvious in The Majestic. We see nervosity, despair, confusion, wariness, happiness, sadness and lots more all rolled neatly into the one role.
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