Yes Man

Poster for the film Yes Man

Release Date: Wednesday 31 December 2008

Running Time: 104 Minutes

Age Restriction: 13. Sex, Language, Nudity

Website: IMDB Page

Yes Man is a movie about a man, Carl (Jim Carrey), who always says “No” to everything. Since his wife left him, he avoids friends, takes no risks and is stuck in a dead-end job working as a junior loans officer at a bank. This all changes when he meets an old friend who convinces him to attend a “Yes!” seminar, where he decides to say “Yes” to all propositions put towards him.

As we can expect from a Jim Carrey movie, this leads to a number of humourous situations, including un uncomfortable encounter with his inappropriately affectionate elderly neighbour, getting hammered drunk with his friends in the bar (after they make him pay for all the drinks), and ordering a wife online after receiving spam. Standard Jim Carrey situations then, all at least marginally funny.

The crux of the movie comes when the very first things Carl says “Yes” to lead him to meet Allison (Zooey Deschane). She is a free-spirited, eclectic woman who paints, sings in a band, and teaches photographic jogging classes. Normally she would be the total opposite of Carl, but because of his new lifestyle, they end up having a relationship.

However, saying “Yes” to everything eventually causes problems, and Carl must find a way to balance his life.

While this movie is decent and production values are high, it feels like it is missing something. Something that I can’t quite place, as the stunts, acting, soundtrack and story are all spot on. Maybe it is the fact that the movie does not take itself seriously enough to make any real impact. People who watch this movie probably won’t remember it in 6 months time. I guess I would say that Yes Man is just too light on theme and conflict to actually convey any serious message.

However, being light as candyfloss means that this movie is a good time passer, and is definitely a decent way to pass 104 minutes. However, don’t expect a groundbreaking movie. Overall, a good way to escape the worries of the real world for a while.

Rating: 6/10

Interesting factoid: Jim Carrey didn’t get paid any money upfront, but instead will receive 36.2% of the film’s gross profits.