Wow! This is a must see movie

This is a very powerful movie. I have never been a big fan of Jim Carrey, but in this movie he is great and plays the character with much sensitivity apart from humour. Apparently the movie was never a big succes in the US, which could be because the subject is too close for comfort.

It brings to mind the story by Gurdjieff of the evil magician, as the movie shows how Truman is really not in control of anything, as it is all orchestrated from above. Just like we like to think we are at the top of the food chain and in control of our lives, so too does Truman believe that he makes real choices and that he is free. Little does he know that he is lives in a "cage". To keep Truman from discovering the Truth, the "media" is employed to constantly shape his opinions and to suppress any questioning of the reality in which he lives. This has scary parallels to todays world, where the mainstream media and manufactured opinion polls acts like the ancient Greek chorus in shaping public opinion the way the controllers wish it to be.

So definitely a top movie, that won't disappoint.

Inspired by the Video Age

The Truman show is a 24/7 TV show, starring Truman. Problem is he does not know it. He was adopted by a TV producer from about 1 or 2 months of age, and from that time they created a town in a bubble and aired his "artificial" life as a TV show. There are those on the outside who think it is unethical and attempt to get inside and warn Truman. Excellent concept. Excellent story. You develop a fondness for Truman, and want to see him come to reality. This is the first performance by Jim Carey that was Oscar worthy.

The Ultimate Comic Tale

The Truman Show became Peter Weir's sixth project in the States and could be arguably, his greatest work since the beginning of his career. Working alongside New Zealander Andrew Niccol, this appealing, likeable and self-panning satire just occured, prior to the big boom of reality television. The title, The Truman Show is known as a play-on-words, since it is supposed to be poking fun and putting him in deep scrunity at the same time. His name, Truman Burbank is a pun. Truman really is an apprevation of True Man and Burbank is the name of the famous Warner Bros studio lot, hence the town in the studio he lives in.

Truman Burbank is an ordinary man, unaware of his existance twenty-four hours a day on an American television channel, broadcast around the world on a so-called inhabitated island called Seahaven enclosed in a studio complex. Burbank slowly unveils the truth of life on the island when a camera falls from the sky.......

The Truman Show was a strange project for Jim Carrey, but one that suits his physical crazy-man style of comedy, so many favours. You can understand why Carrey took a part like this which relates to his personality through little clues more than anything else he has done. His performance as Truman Burbank reveals him to be a man who experiences restrictment from the time he was very young in many forms seen so vividly. Carrey makes him invisiable and skeptical. Laura Linney is brillant as his commerical engrossive all-50s American housewife. Noah Emmerich protrays his best friend, Marlon, who reministic of their childhood memories and his obbession to keep him safe always, don't prove to the answers nor the person, Burbank thinks he is looking to up and should trust. Christof, the rarely seen reclusive creator comes across as a distinct loner, prone to angry stares and shows a lack of humour. Also, note how the personalities on screen, are just minicks of the real people, who couldn't care less about the main attraction.

Peter Weir's direction shows the view of the world; the sudden close-ups; the cheesy humour and repetitive behaviour as well making Christof's studio seem fascinating, but very domineering and grey. The editing work gives an appropriate parrallell life towards Truman's eyes and the world in which Christof lives in as well which emphasises the main themes of lonliness, reclusion, the media's intrepretion and self-esteem.

The Truman Show is a candid look at an over exaggerated idea, that people know "could" never prosper, but with the things that reality television is capable of doing like trapping people in a forest or house, we may never know what the risks they are more than willing to achieve for audience interest.