Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton

First of all, when I saw Chris Smith was directing this documentary, I knew it would be good. American Movie is one of the best documentaries of all time in my opinion. My hats off to Chris Smith. That being said, this is a must see documentary, it's transcendental on all levels or perhaps it's just normal and the way it should be and is on the human level, but we're all living in such a backwards world that we see transcending as related to a spiritual or a non physical realm, but perhaps transcendental is just normal, the way it should be.

In this documentary one gets to see the process Jim Carrey went through to be Andy Kaufman/Tony Clifton and one also gets to see where Jim Carrey is now, which is a perfect term as he is very much in the now. Jim Carrey is almost an Eckhart Tolle at this point in his life. He just is. One could say that's easy for Carrey as he's got all the money in the world, but the truth is he's seen both sides of the coin i.e. having all the money in the world and being homeless, so he's a good judge of what it is to be happy and at peace in my opinion. Carrey has found his true self and happiness in just being.

This documentary gives the viewer the perspective of what a remarkable actor Jim Carrey is and also what a thought provoking human being and poet he is too. Jim Carrey says in this documentary 'free of concern.' What a wild and lovely concept. Free of concern. Obviously we all have doubts, concerns and worries i.e. about our loved ones i.e. family, friends, sister, brother, kids, dogs, etc. But past that to be truly free of fear, what a wonderful concept and I believe Carrey is truly free of all of it. How liberating.

A documentary well worth the watch to see how deep an actor will and can go, and also to see how beautiful a human being Carrey is within all his flaws and imperfections. Please watch this documentary, you will fall in love with your life, with life, with Carrey and the creation of being all over again. A truly moving piece of art. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you think.

The film covers Jim a lot more than Andy. It certainly makes an impact. They are both very complicated people and it becomes clear that if anyone was going to play Andy Kaufman it had to be Jim Carrey. He got about as close as anyone ever could.

In the interview sections Jim comes across charming and occasionally says some very profound and insightful things. The on set footage shows a very different person. He chose to approach the role as a hardcore method actor. Insisting on being called his characters names and never breaking character, even around Andy's family. Some of it is brutal and hard to watch. He is nothing short of an obnoxious, unhinged, tempormental nightmare. Especially when he plays Tony. There are many times when I feel sorry for the crew and his costars. Outside of the craft of acting there is a serious case to be made for Carrey being committed. He seems legitimately insane. That being said so did Andy and maybe Jim had to do that in order to temporarily become him.

The only fault I can identify with Jim's performance is that there was a sweetness about Andy and his funny antics. There is a dark anger in Jim which occasionally leaks out. Still I think Jim got as close as anyone could to capturing Andy.

My overall impression is that Andy Kaufman was a strange and beautiful performance artist. Jim Carrey is brilliant and troubled actor. I love watching his movies, but, I probably would not want to work with him.

For his role in "Man on the Moon," Jim Carrey took on the character of Andy Kaufman so fully that, as he relates here, he found himself reacting off the set as Andy would have reacted rather than as Jim would react.

Along with his known talents, Carrey shows himself in this doc to be a very articulate speaker, even when describing--as he does here a lot--his internal states. If actors need empathy, Carrey here puts that empathy into words--words we can understand and feel.

If you're not familiar with Kaufman, there's a great variety of footage from Kaufman's performances.

It's hard to compare this to any other doc I've seen. Its approach to the subject is as unique as the subject itself. If you want to understand and appreciate a side of Jim Carrey you may never have seen before, or what actors go through when throwing themselves into roles, this film is for you.

Andy is Tony or is he Jim , or is it Jim is Andy or Tony , or is Bob Tony? wonderful overview of the making of Man in the Moon the biopic of Andy Kaufman. Featuring Jim Carey talking though the psychological damage that various characters and the actor profession have done when taking on various roles. Riveting

Jim Carrey was one of my favorite actors as a child. Andy Kaufman fascinated me as a young man. Yet, this incredible new documentary tries to convey that Jim and Andy are two sides of the same coin. Two human beings that learned how to be free through their art. It is all about the making of Man on the Moon, one of the most underrated biopics of all time and in my mind, the crowning achievement of Jim Carrey's career. Carrey didn't simply impersonate Andy Kaufman. Andy Kaufman possessed Jim Carrey. Through never before behind the scenes footage, we see Carrey slowly disappear into Kaufman and whether it was intentional method acting or not is unknown. Carrey came into the project as the hottest comedy star in the world and came out something completely different.

... and What of Andy Kaufman? Many say he's dead and many say he's still alive somewhere, playing a big gag that we just don't know about. Andy was mysterious like that. But his spirit exists, somewhere in our universe. Anyone with the bravery to be different from everyone else, in essence is an Andy.