By Robbie Jones
Ladies and gentleman, I am about to present to you what I genuinely believe to be the most under-rated film of all time. From the director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile comes The Majestic, starring Jim Carrey as Peter Appleton, an ambitious Hollywood screenwriter in the 1950’s who has everything going for him... Until the FBI discover he attended a communist meeting during college and blacklist him.
Ladies and gentleman, I am about to present to you what I genuinely believe to be the most under-rated film of all time. From the director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile comes The Majestic, starring Jim Carrey as Peter Appleton, an ambitious Hollywood screenwriter in the 1950’s who has everything going for him... Until the FBI discover he attended a communist meeting during college and blacklist him.
Drunk and desperate, Peter drives aimlessly through the streets of California, finally crashing into a stormy river and waking to find himself in a small coastal town, minus his memory. The tiny town of Lawson, however, goes wild and embraces Peter as local missing-in-action war hero Luke Trimble, with whom he shares an uncanny resemblance. Injecting new life and hope into the community, Peter goes about restoring the Majestic, a crumbling movie palace owned by ‘his father’, Harry Trimble (Martin Landau) and rekindling the passion of old flame Adele Stanton (Laurie Holden). However, when Peter’s memory starts returning, he has even bigger dilemmas to face. With the FBI closing in on his trail, does he run or brave his accusers back in Hollywood once and for all? And more importantly, will he have the courage to tell the town who he is?
Jim Carrey is my favourite actor, he always has been. He may not be as talented as De Niro, Nicholson and Pacino, and he’s not quite as iconic as Dean, Welles or Brando, but as I’ve said a million times, this man inspired my love for movies. I would not be the film buff I am without his performance in Man on the Moon. Whilst that was brilliant, his performance here is just truly excellent. It’s always good to know that a comedian can do drama so well, but here he is almost unrecognisable. Trust me, after watching this, you’ll find it hard to believe this is the man who became famous for pretending his ass could talk. The raw emotion that shines through and his genuine belief in his new life all culminate together to provide a riveting watch, one that soon turns heartbreaking as he regains his memory. Martin Landau is also very good as his ‘Dad’, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his performance makes a few people cry. Matter of fact, I think the only let down in the cast is Laurie Holden, who doesn’t seem to provide any kind of impact like her co stars.
Frank Darabont seems to be a master worker. Not only did he direct The Shawshank Redemption, which is considered one of the greatest films of all time (but you already knew that), but he also did The Green Mile, another heartbreaking yet riveting film starring Tom Hanks and the late great Michael Clarke Duncan. Whilst The Majestic doesn’t quite compare to those, I think it’s horrible that it never gets any similar praise. In my eyes, it’s a five-star film, a rating I give to all Darabont’s films (that I’ve seen).
Frank Darabont seems to be a master worker. Not only did he direct The Shawshank Redemption, which is considered one of the greatest films of all time (but you already knew that), but he also did The Green Mile, another heartbreaking yet riveting film starring Tom Hanks and the late great Michael Clarke Duncan. Whilst The Majestic doesn’t quite compare to those, I think it’s horrible that it never gets any similar praise. In my eyes, it’s a five-star film, a rating I give to all Darabont’s films (that I’ve seen).
Truthfully, the only reason I ever wanted to watch the movie was for Jim Carrey, so I was over the moon to find the DVD at a car-boot sale. However, I never really took into account how emotional and gripping the plot sounded, so you can imagine my surprise when I was practically drawn to the telly like a moth to a light bulb. It’s hard to take your eyes off the screen because every time something big happens you just have to know what happens next, the thought of missing a single second of the film becomes a horrifying one.
This film will never get the attention it deserves - Fact. This film will never get the praise it deserves - Fact. But I trust all the readers of I’m With Geek to make sure it is appreciated and acknowledged in the way it deserves - Fact. A beautiful story, topped with amazing performances and gripping scenes, and one that should not be missed.
Check it out Friday 12th April on ITV1 (UK only) at 10:35. Let us know what you thought in the comments section below!
This film will never get the attention it deserves - Fact. This film will never get the praise it deserves - Fact. But I trust all the readers of I’m With Geek to make sure it is appreciated and acknowledged in the way it deserves - Fact. A beautiful story, topped with amazing performances and gripping scenes, and one that should not be missed.
Check it out Friday 12th April on ITV1 (UK only) at 10:35. Let us know what you thought in the comments section below!
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