Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Man on the Moon'

WRITTEN BY JOHN EDWARD BETANCOURT

​I’ve always had the firm belief that becoming a comedian has to be one hell of a difficult venture. Because while it’s easy to make people scared, or cry for that matter as well, making people laugh and laugh hard takes a certain skill set and those that are successful at doing it, downright fascinate me. Because the finest comedians out there, seem to have a unique understanding of our world and our lives and it often compels me to learn more about the most successful ones out there to discover what makes them tick and what exactly gives them that aforementioned perspective.
 
It’s why I’ve poured over interview after interview when it comes to my favorite funny people, and while I’ve never quite figured out what gives them their unique outlook on life, it’s been a joy to see the mystique surrounding a comedian disappear and appreciate them for the people that they are, and of the many shows and documentaries I’ve watched when it comes to these masters of comedy, there’s one that I continue to pour over whenever I find it on cable or have a spare moment to pop it into my DVD player, since it does a fine job of highlighting the career of one of history’s greatest funny men, in Man on the Moon.
 
Now for those unfamiliar with this film it is a bio-pic that chronicles the life and career of one Andy Kaufman, an enigmatic comedian who enjoyed delivering a unique brand of comedy to the world and well, this is hands down one of the most fascinating and beautiful bio-pics that I’ve ever seen to be honest. In part because it portrays Andy as just a man, one who was driven to become a legend in comedy, the kind that would stand out above anyone else in his field by doing things that comedians simply don’t normally do, and in Andy’s case, it was all about creating a unique and somewhat confusing experience for the audience that came to see him.

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Which means that we are in essence, privy to Andy’s obsession when it comes to drawing the audience into the moment he’s creating and there’s something supremely compelling about watching this man stop at nothing to take comedy to a new level, regardless of the cost to his career and perhaps the true beauty of this film, is that it doesn’t judge what Andy did during his illustrious time in the spotlight, it presents it in objective fashion and in many ways, the story finds a way to respect it since it did take some serious guts to draw out a joke as far as Andy did back in the day.
 
But, none of this fascination is possible without a damn fine cast and well, you’ll find that in spades here since everyone turns in an amazing performance and there are some lovely cameos from people who shared the small screen with Andy during his time on Taxi, and Danny DeVito straight up impresses with his straight arrow performance as Andy’s agent, George Shaprio. However, one man steals the show in this film and that’s Jim Carrey, who plays Andy and well, Jim’s acting chops are on full display here since he in essence becomes Andy Kaufman, portraying him with an innocent and impish glee. But the real magic of his performance is that he never once lets Andy become a caricature, Jim always keeps Andy’s humanity on display, making him supremely relatable.
 
In the end, all of these elements blend together seamlessly to create a brilliant motion picture. One that truly celebrates the life and the wonder of a brilliant comedian, and I truly appreciated the fact that it found a way to maintain some level of mystery when it comes to Andy Kaufman, and that it offered an impartial look at his life and his comedy. Because it allows for you to make your own decisions as to whether or not he was a genius or a nuisance, but regardless of what side you settle on, you definitely walk away from this movie with a level of respect for Mister Kaufman, thanks to the sheer determination that Andy exhibited over the course of his illustrious career.

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