A portrait of the actor as an artist.
Jim Carrey has always been more than what he seems. He’s a phenomenal physical comedian to be sure, but like the best comedians, Carrey’s presentation of self covers a deep reserve of emotion, creativity, and darkness. Glimpses of this reserve can be seen in the actor’s dramatic work like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Truman Show, The Majestic, and Man on the Moon, but for all Carrey’s efforts to grow, Hollywood, movie-going audiences, or both, seem reluctant to accept him as anything other than a funnyman. Which is a damn shame because, as I mentioned at the start of this paragraph, Jim Carrey is so, so much more than that.
In the short documentary Jim Carrey: I Need Color, presented by SGG, we’re shown a portrait of the artist as an artist, specifically a visual artist, as he prepares for a showing of his work. I for one did not know this side of Carrey, I knew he was a very contemplative person at heart but had no idea he had stretched his bounds to this degree. His work as a painter is impressive, vibrant, tender, and powerful, but it is his temperament as an artist that I found most captivating. Carrey is as insightful as he used to be gregarious, he is a man whittled by fame and fortune into the best version of himself, a seeker, a self-explorer, and a brave soul contradicting his public image with a blazing portrait-by-proxy of the complete man he really is. I truly, truly wish this was a feature-length film, and I think the more you dismiss the notion of Carrey as a serious artist, the more necessary it is you see this doc. Whatever he does going forward, I now sincerely believe the best is yet to come from Jim Carrey, and I’m willing to bet six-and-a-half minutes after you press play, you’ll agree with me.
Related Topics: Documentary, Jim Carrey, Short Films
