It's unnerving because Peter Weir doesn't seem to have received the sort of acclaim he deserves (either for this film or for any of his others). But mostly, it's unnerving because it's so much less absurd than the reality we're living in right now, it barely even works as satire any more.
I'm talking of The Truman Show, which seemed absolutely terrifying when I first saw it, which is even more terrifying now that it's not as terrifying as it used to be (if you get my drift), and is currently streaming on NETFLIX INSTANT and can be rented from a number of OTHERS($).
Truman doesn't realise that his quaint hometown is a giant studio set run by a visionary producer/creator named Christof, that folks living and working there are Hollywood actors, that even his incessantly bubbly wife is a contract player.
Carrey is manic (as ever), but it works better here, somehow. I'm not quite sure how Weir managed to fit such an absurdly-larger-than-life goof into such a dark story, but I'm just going to chalk it up to cinematic genius.
The music, as my sister-in-law reminded me just yesterday, is fantastic. Especially "Truman Sleeps." And Ed Harris was a mind-blowing revelation to me the first time I saw this film. Sure, the fact that he's playing the absolute linchpin (emotionally and story-wise) makes him more than a little memorable. But a lesser performance would have left the film very, very flat. (Also, his name is Christ-Off, basically. Yep.)
It's not my favorite Andre Niccol film, nor is it my favorite Peter Weir film. But it's a pretty great one, all the same. (Also, Peter Weir hasn't made a film in six years. Fix that, Hollywood!)
