Plot: What’s it about?
Charlie Baileygates (Jim Carrey) used to be a normal man with a bright future, but as he was pushed around and abused, a darker force began to rise inside of him. This all started eighteen years ago, when he was just starting out as a Rhode Island State Trooper, as well as getting ready to begin his married life with his new wife and soulmate. But when she had an affair with a midget limo driver, his world turned upside down and she left him, with their three black children. From there, Charlie began to take all the abuse from those around him and his only pleasures came from his work and his three sons. His sons grew to be smart and resourceful young men and all the while, that dark force was gaining power within Charlie. After too much abuse, Charlie finally cracks and starts a path of payback that lands him in trouble with his boss. But when it is revealed that it was not Charlie, but a second personality, things begin to get very unusual. It seems his more aggressive side, Hank, comes out when he is pushed too far, to take revenge on Charlie’s behalf. But when Charlie and Hank both fall for the beautiful Irene P. Waters (Renee Zellwegger), who will end up with control of Charlie’s body and the girl?
When I heard Jim Carrey was making another film with Bobby and Peter Farrelly, I was more than looking forward to Me, Myself & Irene. I saw this a few times at the theater and laughed my head off, but I couldn’t wait until the eventual DVD was released. Now that I hold that shiny little fella in my hands, I’ve watched the film again and pored over the bonus materials. As was the case before, I loved the film and though it gets a little on the graphic side at times, it is a real winner in all respects. There is a lot of sick jokes, crude humor, sexual innuendoes, racial gags, stereotypes, and other politically incorrect materials and needless to say, I couldn’t be happier with the final result. I know a lot of people will find this film to be very offensive, but who cares? I think this is a hilarious motion picture, which showcases the skills of Carrey and the Farrelly brothers very well, which is what counts. If you like crude humor and don’t get easily offended, then Me, Myself & Irene is a film you have to check out. A rental is ok for skeptics, but this awesome special edition disc is a must own for fans of the creative forces involved.
The films of Bobby and Peter Farrelly have always pushed the limits of taste, but as usual, they’ve taken things even further here. The jokes are the same kind of crude, low brow stuff, but it seems like bad taste is in fuller effect than ever, which is cool by me. The story here is much better than their previous works, but as you might expect, it gets shoved aside in order to fit in as many gags as possible. But those jokes ensure the film’s success and as usual for these guys, most of them work to gross perfection. I wouldn’t say these gags are shocking by any means, but some are on the gross side and that could offend some folks. But in the end, this is another solid all around effort from these guys, let’s hope they can keep this up. Other films by these two guys include Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, and There’s Something About Mary. The cast here includes the ever humorous Jim Carrey (The Truman Show, The Cable Guy), Renee Zellwegger (Jerry Maguire, Love & A .45), Anthony Anderson (Romeo Must Die, Big Momma’s House), Jamal Mixon (The Nutty Professor), Chris Cooper (American Beauty, The Patriot), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown, Vigilante), and many others.
Video: How does it look?
Me, Myself & Irene is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is one heck of a visual presentation, although a few small problems keep it from the perfect score level. Those issues cover some slight compression errors and edge enhancement, but those small glitches can’t keep this impressive transfer down much. The source print looks very clean, which allows the brightness and detail present to shine, which you have to like. The colors are in fine form, very rich tones and no signs of flaws in the least. I also saw no signs of trouble with the flesh tones, which come off as natural and distortion free. The contrast is well covered too, no visible detail loss here and the black level balance is dead on. This is pretty darn close to perfect and I doubt anyone will be let down here.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc sports a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, but as is the case with most comedies, there just isn’t much surround presence. The musical soundtrack makes nice of the surrounds here, but that spells the start and finish of it, so don’t expect a whirlwind mix from this one. The elements come in natural form though, so you can’t lodge too much in terms of complaints with this mix. I’d rather see a more conservative presence than a forced one, so I am pleased here. The sound effects show some range at times, but for the most part, reside within the front channels, which is where they should be. I heard no problems with the dialogue either, as it came through in crisp form and with no volume issues in the least. This disc also contains 2.0 surround tracks in English and French, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This one’s a full blown special edition, which means it has been given a wealth of bonus materials. The audio commentaries of Bobby and Peter Farrelly have been lackluster in the past, but the one included here is a slight improvement. They still point out all their friends and relatives in the film, but also squeeze in some production anecdotes, which were more than welcome. I still wish they could focus more on the production than who was cast, but this is a step in the right direction, so no real complaints. This disc also contains six vignettes from the production, which can be viewed alone or spliced into the film at the correct times, which is cool. In that same line are the deleted scenes, which are simply hilarious and the true steal of these supplements. You can view them on their own (with or without Farrelly commentary), or have them spliced into the film. Just wait for Hank to show up on the screen, then click your button and you’ll see the deleted sequence. I wish these were anamorphic, but they’re still nice to have here. Also, you can access a hidden reel of outtakes from the menu here, which are fun to watch. You’ll also find a basic fluff featurette, two theatrical trailers, three television spots, a selection of still photos, a bland music video, and some DVD ROM content.
