Yes Man Review

Comic actors are at their best when they get to intersperse their vulnerability and humanity with their humor, and in that respect Jim Carrey is truly at the top of his game in Yes Man. Carrey stars as a man who has closed himself off from life, and at the urging of a friend he attends a self-help seminar run by the always charismatic Terrence Stamp. The premise of the movie - the philosophy he adopts - is for him to say yes to any request made of him in order to turn his life around. He tries it, he likes it, he throws himself into it with gusto, hijinks ensue.

If the movie has a problem - and it detracted from my enjoyment - it's that the reason people do say no is that actions have consequences. Most people get hangovers, bleed, go broke, and/or get fired for doing half the stuff he does. The movie does redeem itself in that there is rarely any element brought up that is not revisited for comedic effect, but when the level of humor continuously moves from the sublime to the ridiculous, you are left wondering where the focus is and what you should be laughing at if at all.

The always cute and perky Zooey Deschanel plays the free spirit Carrey falls for, and their relationship provides an interesting plot as his wacky shenanigans fade into the background. The actor playing Carrey's boss is a treat to watch every time he's on screen, and if he does not quite succeed in stealing every scene he's in, he still does an excellent job of making Jim Carrey look staid and normal by comparison.

All in all, it's a feel-good, fun movie, and if it doesn't hit on every cylinder there is still a lot in there to please everyone.