Here is an over-the-top and out-of-the box dramedy, based on the true story of a con man's quest for love — a quest which enabled him to pull off a series of daring scams and four prison-breaks. In a tour-de-force performance, Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell, an incredibly smart and inventive chameleon who knows just the right buttons to press to deceive a particular person. In his smooth and savvy voiceover narration of this crazy man's journey, we see the lengths one person will go to in the name of love.
Steven Russell is happily married to Debbie (Leslie Mann) and plays the organ at their church. He is a member of the local police force. After being injured in a terrible car accident, Steven has an epiphany: it is time to tell the world that he is homosexual. He wants to quit dillydallying and live life to the max as a gay man. He has cleared away some old business by making an appeal to his birth mother, who abandoned him, but she rejects him again. And although he divorces Debbie and breaks her heart, they remain friends and she is usually the one he calls when he needs support and encouragement.
After pulling off several escapades, Steven lands in a Texas prison. There he meets and falls madly in love with Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), a gentle and soft-spoken Southerner who is also homosexual. Steven immediately begins to work on ways to free his lover from prison. When he finally accomplishes his goal, Phillip Morris is pleased to settle down at last. Meanwhile, Steven works his way into a high-paying job as the chief financial officer of a large Texas company. It is a lark to watch him elude disclosure of the fact that he knows nothing about his job — all so he can give his lover the best that life has to offer. Phillip Morris is still in the dark about the extent of Steven's cons and scams, and he believes trust is an essential ingredient in a lasting love relationship.
I Love You Phillip Morris is written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (based on a book by Steve McVicker). Thanks to the incredible exuberance of Jim Carrey, the movie feels like a powerful energy enhancer. By the time we left the theatre, we were tipsy from the experience. Despite all his flaws and foibles, Steven's heart is in the right place. His actions to be with Phillip Morris are in sync with Lenny Bruce's quip: "There are never enough 'I love you's.' "
Special features on the DVD include an audio commentary and deleted scenes.
