Movie Info
Movie Name: Me, Myself & Irene
Studio: Conundrum Entertainment
Genre(s): Comedy
Release Date(s): July 28, 2006
MPAA Rating: R
I’ll just put it out of its misery
Charlie Baileygates (Jim Carrey) is a really nice guy. He’s raising children that aren’t his and he has a thankless job as a State Trooper. Hank isn’t a nice guy…unfortunately, Hank is also Charlie. As Charlie deals with his split personality, he’s assigned to transport Irene Waters (Renee Zellweger) to New York who has secrets of her own. Irene is targeted by her ex-boyfriend Dickie (Daniel Greene) who will stop at nothing to silence Irene. When Charlie is pressured, Hank comes out and Hank and Irene are on the run from Dickie and the law.
Written and directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, Me, Myself & Irene is a dark comedy. The movie was met with mixed reviews but a strong box office.
A father and his sons
Jim Carrey was still at his peak when Me, Myself & Irene was released and the Farrelly Brothers were big directors. Though I find Jim Carrey hit-or-miss, I thought the movie kind of worked for me.
The whole split personality plot has been played out multiple times along with the wrongfully convicted on the run from the police/criminals. The combination works here to feel somewhat original. There are a lot of laughs and the Farrelly Brothers pull no punches with nothing being safe or sacred. Crude and non-PC humor makes the movie’s script pop.
Well look who joined the party…
Jim Carrey is good for this role. He is allowed to be over-the-top as Hank, but you see a bit of his “nice” Truman Show type of character in the sad-sack Charlie. Renee Zellweger is still a nice “girl next door” type in this movie and it is easy to see how he’d fall for her. The movie also features Richard Jenkins, Robert Forester, and Chris Cooper, but it is Michael Bowman as Casper (aka Whitey) and Carrey’s sons Anthony Anderson, Mongo Brownlee, and Jerod Mixon who steal the scenes.
The movie also goes for visual extremes and not only is Jim Carrey’s rubber face helpful, but the Farrelly Bros’ over-the-top sense of humor. The visuals in things like the cow scene play well with Carrey’s humor.
Me, Myself & Irene was a surprisingly fun comedy. I do enjoy Dumb and Dumber more (mostly due to the chemistry between Daniels and Carrey), but I think this movie is also a good ride. Me, Myself & Irene might be a bit forgotten in the world of comedies, but it deserves to be revisited.
