BRUCE ALMIGHTY (2003) **1/2 Pairing Jennifer Aniston with Jim Carrey was a good move. Jim does his best not to go too far over the top, but of course he can't help what seems like a little bit to him, and maybe more to others, particularly his detractors. But tan Jennifer works that understated California earthmother thing, she's not dull nor is she abrupt. She's very into an inner personal flow, that doesn't go so fast or veer out of control. She's cool. So they're a good match. The film's all about him, no question, but she brings down the overall volume, volume being what you don't necessarily want if you're not so sure about what's going to go on. The religious implications of it all are positive and quaint. If you're a believer going in, you're unlikely to be irritated or change your mind. There's even a very nice prayer strategy unveiled. If you're a cynic you'll probably think so little of the flyweight philosophy that you won't even add it to the fire of your scepticism. There is a religious element, yes, but it's neither overbearing nor terribly profound, except perhaps in its simplicity. You knew it's not easy being you, you'd suspected that it's not easy being anyone, and now you wonder if it's even easy being God. Morgan Freeman is fairly credible as God, actually, how do you do it? There's that sense of wisdom and humour. Realist critics will probably want to start from the point of: How can a goof like Carrey think anything but he's getting a great deal, paired with Jennifer? Ah, the world's full of such clods who somehow got the great girl (I'm one). And Carrey does a good job of portraying the self-absorption and professional ambition/envy that's so common here amongst us. The Niagara Falls scene is Carrey for everyman, except that the rest of us probably couldn't think all that stuff up. But we'd like to.
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