The plot is straightforward, but quite impressive in its ingenuity – can a double-crossing, conniving, immoral and generally wicked lawyer manage to tell the truth for one single day – yes, a whole 24 hours. It’s not important how he finds himself in this dilemma, it’s a straight rip-off of any number of "I wish" drama/comedies a la "Big" or "Peggy Sue Got Married". Nevertheless, Fletcher Reede, the lawyer on his way up the legal career ladder two steps at a time, and always ready to cut off his opposition at the legs, finds himself in unknown territory, the Land Of Truth. Do you see a lesson in the offing? Is the legal profession less than honourable? Here at Law in the Lounge we found ourselves cringing – one of us took refuge under the seat in the theatre, with a giant coke and a tub of popcorn – when that ran out he resorted to a thumb. Yes, it’s all very funny, but it is occasionally a little close to the bone. This movie is essentially about legal ethics, and as funny as it is, it leaves the audience with even less respect for the dubious tactics of lawyers. This is a lawyer who takes the cases that other lawyers find distasteful! And you can be sure it was not sponsored by your local law society! It is also a story of a family in trouble, and be warned, if you are a career oriented parent who is not spending enough time with your children, you may find yourself sprinting to your child’s room with an offer to kick the ball around the yard! There’s been a few of these types of comedies lately, for instance "Jingle All The Way" and "The Santa Clause" – workaholic screenwriters working out their guilt. But don’t worry, "Liar Liar" is still a comedy, though it has the occasional identity crisis. The comedy centres on the divorce case of Virginia Cole (hilariously played by Jennifer Tilly), who wants megabucks from her very wealthy husband. Trouble is, she signed a prenuptial agreement, and she is without doubt the guilty party in the break-up of the marriage. But by the time Fletcher Reede is finished interviewing her, she believes she’s the aggrieved partner, even though she has committed multiple acts of adultery! But along the way you’ll take a trek through the mind of an ambitious and basically insecure legal creature who knows less about right and wrong than your average sociopath! Before this movie sinks into a lecture on family values it takes us into the bowels of a legal firm, all chrome and glass, and the stupidity behind the doors that clients never see. Fletcher Reede juggles so many lies going at once, all interconnected, that when he is forced to tell the truth, the scaffold that supports these multiple deceptions collapses into an hilarious catastrophe. What he manages to salvage from this wreckage is where the story takes flight. Obviously Jim Carrey. He’s not particularly convincing as a lawyer, but the battle between his brain and his body is a sight to behold. Memories of Steve Martin in "All Of Me". Some of the jokes, especially the one where he tells his boss "I’ve had better" following sex, something he would never have done when he was in his lying mode. What’s good about this movie for Jim Carrey is that it’s not "The Cable Guy", where the "evil" Jim came out to play. "Liar Liar" takes Carrey back to "Ace Ventura", albeit in a more restrained environment. At an hour and a half it is just the right length. This is a total star vehicle for Jim Carrey, so if you are not a fan, this movie will send you straight to the nearest cliff. This is the problem with a movie that focuses on one actor, and there are times in the hour and a half when you wish Carrey wasn’t so pervasively present throughout. Like many movies that try to navigate a path between comedy and lessons in morality, it sometimes loses its way. Clearly Carrey is more comfortable with the slapstick, even when you might wish for a moment of sanity. To see how well this type of thing can be done, check out "Big" ( a great performance by Tom Hanks), which is available on videocassette. One of the Law in the Lounge crew complained that this movie lacks a moral centre, with the message that it might be okay for a lawyer to lie to a judge, but not to his son. The plot revolves around a single case that Reede takes on behalf of the greedy wife of a very wealthy man, divorcing her for adultery (she was caught by a private detective). Her problem is simple – she’s signed a prenuptial agreement that gives her a lot less in a divorce than she would otherwise get under the law. "Prenuptial" means "before the marriage" – it’s a contract that the prospective married partners sign before the deed is done. This is a hot industry in the U.S., given the 50% divorce rate for first marriages, higher for repeat offenders. Not surprisingly, many couples have learnt their lesson from the first encounter, and by the second time around they want to protect themselves. In "Liar Liar" hubby wants to avoid the California law of equal division of property on divorce. Virginia signed a prenuptial agreement that gave her considerably less than that – riding to her defence is Fletcher Reede. The law in California lays down the rules of a prenuptial agreement – see the movie for the solution to Virginia’s problems. In Australia these agreements are not enforceable in the Family Court, but the court will take them into account when deciding about division of property. The Court will investigate whether the agreement was made fairly, and whether both partners fully understood the significance of the agreement. The Court will also want to know whether the partners had legal advice when the agreement was made. If they did, the Court will probably make orders that are similar to the agreement. The Federal Attorney General has suggested that these types of agreements will be recognised as enforceable contracts in the future, though this will mean the Family Law Act will have to be changed. And what about Fletcher’s behaviour? Are there ethics in the law, or can lawyers do whatever they like in the name of profit and ambition. Well, there’s a theoretical answer to all of this – but in practice it might not be so straightforward. Most lawyers are concerned with the "bottom line" – that is, the last line of their financial statement that discloses the net profit. Nothing wrong with that – after all, even lawyers have to earn a living. But then there are the Fletcher Reedes of the world. Fletcher certainly believes in acting in the best interests of his client – as long as that client is going to improve his bottom line. But there are rules that in reality would stop him acting the way he does – for instance, the New York Code of Professional Responsibility states that a lawyers is "obligated to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct." In Australia we have similar rules of ethical conduct – though here at Law in the Lounge we’ve met our share of Fletchers as well. For example, in Victoria there is a Legal Practice Act that tells lawyers what they can and can’t do – and as Fletcher learns in this movie, lawyers are obliged to act honestly and fairly. Also, you can be sure that some of the tactics used by Fletcher in court would not be tolerated here – okay, so they probably wouldn’t wash anywhere in the real world (it’s a comedy, after all!). But don’t believe for a minute that we don’t have our rotten eggs – we do! Director Tom Shadyak hit the big time tethered to the comic genius of Jim Carrey. They made "Ace Venture: Pet Detective" together. When you’re on a good thing – and comedy is his thing. He’s followed that blockbuster with Eddie Murphy, another comedy icon, in the remake of the Jerry Lewis classic "The Nutty Professor". See a trend here? Lewis, Carrey, Murphy – physical comics all. With "Liar" being his third megahit in a row, it would be interesting to see what he could do without the anchor of a huge star. Producer Brian Grazer doesn’t have to prove anything anymore. He’s the other half of the Ron Howard – Brian Grazer director-producer team. How’s this for a successful repertoire: "Splash", "Parenthood", "My Girl", "Apollo 13", "Kindergarten Cop", "The Paper". Jim Carrey - it’s his face, of course - it has more moves than Fred Astaire on a moonlit balcony. If the essence of great acting is "less is more", Carrey is from the "more is better" school of exaggeration. This formula usually produces visual havoc – Carrey can actually pull it off. Carrey came to prominence on television, in "Living Colour", which was more often shown in the wee hours in Australia. When the big time came knocking, it barrelled through the door like a ten-ton boulder. From nowhere, Carrey starred in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", "The Mask", and "Dumb and Dumber". There is an oft told story that Carrey, when broke and unknown, wrote a cheque to himself for $10 million, payable 1995 – by that time he had made these movies and he could cash it! Jennifer Tilly plays the gold-digging Virginia Cole. Tilly has made a number of well-received movies, including "The Fabulous Baker Boys" and "Moving Violations", as well as television roles in "Hill Street Blues" and "The Garry Shandling Show". She was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress in Woody Allen’s delightful "Bullets Over Broadway". Maura Tierney (Audrey Reede) has a fair pedigree, including "Primal Fear" with Richard Gere, and "White Sands", which was directed by Australian-born Roger Donaldson. You’ll soon see her in a movie with Bruce Willis and in "Primary Colours" with John Travolta (directed by the brilliant Mike Nicols). Jim Carrey is more an animated mannequin than an actor – assuming that we classify actors according to an ability to believably portray a character. This is not to say he cannot act, but it might be a stretch to see him in a dramatic role (can you imagine what he might have made of the part of David Helfgott in "Shine"?). Carrey’s fortune is a face that can go places previously only seen in Jerry Lewis or cartoon antics. In "Liar Liar" he certainly plays a character – a lawyer in trouble with his ex-wife and son – but it’s still the same old Jim Carrey. When he plays with his son he is unlike any father we know, though you’ll find yourself trying to repeat the "claw" the next time you play with your child (you’ll know what we mean when you see the movie). There is a certain menace behind Carrey’s persona, and it’s interesting that it emerged in his least successful venture, "The Cable Guy". It’s hard to see him as a father and husband, but as a lawyer it’s all too believable – the menace finds its home in this character, cleverly dealt a lethal blow by an inability to lie. This is where Carrey is in a class of his own – no one since Jerry Lewis in his heyday could physically articulate the confusion of his sudden and inexplicable conversion to the truth, and it is magnificent to behold. He doesn’t have to say a word (in fact, he’s often speechless to avoid saying an honest word!) to convey everything you need to know about the despicable Reede. Carrey is a master at this sort of thing, and as long as he doesn’t overreach his vast comedic abilities, he should continue his stellar career. In the end, there’s only one thing you need to know about this performance – like him or loathe him, this movie would not exist without Jim Carrey, because no one else could pull it off. Jennifer Tilley makes a wonderful dumb blonde who’s smart enough to hire a lawyer who will do her lying for her. She’s frighteningly convincing – platinum hair, gold-digging heart, and granite where her brains should be. But she knows her way around the bedroom, and her ex-husband’s money, and she wants plenty of both. When needed, she brings an edge to the role that turns Carrey’s client into an amoral vamp. This is comedy with an edge – yes, it is often very funny, especially if you enjoy physical humour and a star turn (there’s no movie without Carrey), but there is also a moral of sorts. Believe us, lawyers don’t come out of this story smelling like a well-thumbed text on jurisprudence. Is the truth an obstacle to career advancement as a lawyer? It’s an interesting question, because truth in the law and in the courts is not always the same as the principles we hold dear in our real lives. But the movie really poses a more interesting question. As Reede explains to his son, adults are not really lying – stretching the truth is a matter of survival in a world that rarely invites honesty. Or is it? Try telling your co-workers what you really think of them (let alone the boss!). There are no surprises here – family values triumph, of course, and truth brings victory. But what the hell, you won’t get bored and if it’s not a laugh-a-minute, the jokes still come thick and fast and cover the cost of the ticket or the movie hire. Too often movies that profess to be funny are just amusing – this one is really funny, and that’s enough for us. To lie or not to lie, when all is seen and done, that is the question. Want us to tell you when we review another movie ? Read this: The legal information contained above is intended to be general information about the law. It is not a substitute for legal and other professional advice. Lawscape Communications P/L does not accept responsibility for loss to any person, who either acts or does not act because of this information. |