Der Ja-Sager

Being lucky, I already saw "Yes Man" and was pleasantly surprised. Jim Carrey is not really my all time favorite (despite his comic talent and acting skills), but in this movie he seems to have hit the spot.

The story itself is really simple: Carl (Jim Carrey), a very negative man, goes to a meeting among the very positive Yes people, whose charismatic leader (Terence Stamp) preaches that one should say Yes to all questions and agree with all propositions. Carl is reluctantly convinced to try it out, and after meeting a girl on a scooter (the ever so lovely Zooey Deschanel) all sorts of things start happening around him. But being 100% positive might be tricky sometimes...

It is all very silly, of course - but this feel-good comedy has a small undertone of seriousness as well. And it has a great cast, many delightful scenes, a reasonably relaxed Jim Carrey and a lighthearted style. Y/N? I say Y.

When I first saw that my two sisters wanted to see this film, I was not that motivated initially, thinking it would be a substandard and predictable comedy with contrived romance. I don't know why I thought that, despite starring Jim Carrey who is quite likable anyway and an intriguing concept, part of my brain was telling me it wasn't going to be good. But I watched it anyway, as I always give films a chance even if the film turns out utter rubbish. After watching, I was pleasantly surprised; it has its flaws but it was an above average film. The romance isn't as good as Carrey's enjoyably wacky antics though, the pacing is sometimes uneven and there was one scene when Carl's neighbour makes sexual advances towards him that I felt wasn't needed. That said though, the concept about what would happen if you answered every question with the answer yes is very intriguing, and the script is good. Also well done is the pleasant cinematography and very good performances from Carrey and the beautiful Zooey Deschanel, who gives her Allison free spirit and charm. Howver it is Rhys Darby as the geeky, Harry Potter-obsessed bank manager who comes very close to stealing the film. Not to mention Terrence Stamp as Terrence, the quasi-religious seminar leader. Overall, flawed, but intriguing and surprisingly likable. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Yes Man follows the same basic genre comedy structure that we've seen an endless amount of times in the past few years. The main character has a big problem, they work to solve that problem, the problem is solved and happy times are had. Then another problem arises as a result to the solution to the original problem. So everyone is sad. But then that problem is solved and everyone lives happily ever after. And there's a message about how to live your life sprinkled in there. For every single comedy in the past few years with that structure, I've gotten so bored by the time it's over because I just lose interest when the drama comes in during the third act. I either don't care about the characters or I don't care about the message.

Every comedy except for this one. Not only did I care about the characters so much (thanks mostly to the performances from Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel who put a beautiful, free-spirited romance at the core of this seemingly typical comedy) that I was emotionally impacted during that predictable turn for the worse near the end, but the message of the film was actually something that I found relatable to my own life which is something I've never experience during these kind of comedies. I'm definitely a man who doesn't really live his life (as cheesy as that sounds) because I isolate myself by making excuses to just be alone and not be with anyone. As a result, I was definitely more invested in this film than I have been with other comedies of the same vein.

Add to all this the fact that it's completely hilarious throughout to the point where I have no hesitation in calling it the funniest movie of the year and easily the best straight comedy (not that there have been many good ones; three by my count). Plus, of course, Zooey Deschanel is absolutely infectious in every moment she's on screen (especially her lovely singing). I love her more than air, and this is just another example of why that love is justified. Call it fanboyism if you must, but she's my #2 of the year in supporting actress right now falling second only to the Cruz. In summation, do yourself a favor and say yes to this great comedy.

I'm so sorry, I had to say it.

This movie is a fun one has good humor and is interesting until somewhere before the end. I mean don't expect the best work of Jim Carrey here but it's better than Bruce Almighty in my opinion. The humor is understandable by anyone but not one in a dozen, it is keeps it freshness throughout.

Unfortunately there are some problems with this movie as well, the movie keeps strict to the formula of a Rom-Com so you aren't surprised anywhere and can guess the plot from the beginning to the end. This is not to bad if you can switch off your mind and just enjoy the movie.

Worse is the need to have a moralistic end. Without telling how or what I will just say that this forced moralistic ending upsets the whole flow of the movie and it would have made a better movie if it had been left out. The moral is to obvious and just bad.

The last flaw I really noticed was the enormous amount of products which were being endorsed by the film. It was almost funnier to watch every product which came by then the jokes of the film itself. Anyway it would make a great drinking game if you would drink every time anyone saw a product endorsement. One scene particularly would get you loaded when Jim Carrey shout a brand name at least ten times.

Again in short it was a good film but it could have been better. And if you need a drinking game this movie is bound to get you loaded.

I always get excited about a new Jim Carrey movie. In my opinion, he has rarely done anything unwatchable in whatever genre from The Mask to Liar Liar via Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind. Yes Man is an excellent feel-good comedy with an outstanding turn from Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel & Terence Stamp. The movie is unfortunately predictable (like most Jim Carey flicks) but very enjoyable with a hard-to-ignore message about how people should live their lives. Don't be surprised after seeing the film to start saying yes a bit more often and how much of a difference it may have on your daily life. Yes Man is a worthy addition to Jim Carrey's filmography.