ME, MYSELF & IRENE

CAPSULE REVIEW –– If you've read any of my other reviews you'll know that I'm not a big fan of the Farrelly's work. Then why do I keep watching? Because I'm trying to understand what the rest of America finds so funny. I guess that's a mystery I won't be solving anytime soon. Their ideas have real comic potential, but shouldn't, like most Saturday Night Live skits, be more than 5 minutes long. Here, Carrey plays Charlie, a Rhode Island cop whose personality splits after suppressing his anger for years. He's been pushed around his whole adult life, never receiving an ounce of respect from anyone except his enormous, trash talking, African American sons (don't ask). So Hank emerges – an offensive, foul-mouthed creep, who sticks up for "them", but not in a good way. Through pure movie machinations, he hooks up with Irene (Zellweger), who's wanted by every law enforcement agency imaginable for crimes she didn't really commit. They are soon running for their lives, though I was never entirely sure why. The situations they find themselves in are contrived more for shock value than to forward the measly plot. The only thing that keeps this comedy afloat is the innate charisma of its' stars Carrey and Zellweger. In this instance, even that's not enough. Carrey has some standout moments, but Zellweger is just passing time in a thankless role. A film only diehard Carrey fans will enjoy.