Welcome back, Jim Carrey, to the kind of roles that made you famous. Trying different types of genres is acceptable for an actor but having a comedian shun broad comedies for five years is not. Though Carrey was a bit rusty in the beginning of the film, once he found his comedic bearings it felt like the rubber-faced comic had truly returned. The plot may seem strikingly similar to the Carrey classic “Liar Liar” but recreating a formula that worked is not a bad way to get back into the game. With the inclusion of an enjoyably quirky leading lady, Zooey Deschannel (“Failure to Launch”), “Yes Man” is a solid romantic comedy with a touch of the Carrey zaniness of old.
Carrey is Carl Allen, a man who is stuck in a rut of his own making. He works for a bank as a loan officer, unable to advance for the last five years. Carl is divorced and spends most of his evenings at home alone, avoiding life and saying no to all opportunities. He meets a former friend who’s life has been changed by the motivational speaker Terence who preaches the “Yes” mentality. Carl is cajoled into going to see Terence (played with serious tongue-in-cheek by the inimitable Terence Stamp; “Get Smart”) and is mysteriously transformed into becoming a yes man. Reluctantly but gamely, Carl follows the program of saying yes to all opportunities. This leads him into meeting the alternative rock singer Allison (Deschannel), improving his relationship with his boss Norman, and getting into occasionally humorous jams.
The director Peyton Reed (“The Break Up”) is a veteran of comedies and keeps the story on-course despite Carl’s numerous adventures. At its heart, the movie is a romantic comedy disguised as a Carrey vehicle. Deschannel and Carrey connect early on, the characters meeting on one of Carl’s yes related opportunities. He becomes the kind of person she is attracted to and Carl becomes confident in himself that he might have a shot with this kooky gal. The movie has a “Groundhog Day” vibe in the middle, as Carl picks up random skills from saying yes to all opportunities. The skills are masterfully rewoven into the storyline as Carl uses them when he really needs them. The actor playing Norman nails the role of the too nice boss who wants to be best friends in the office.
Carrey is free and loose with his remarkable humor in certain scenes, like at a drunken street fight. For much of the film Carrey holds back his former spark and zip, giving audiences only occasional glimpses of his inner comedic madness. Perhaps Carrey holds back because the film doesn’t require him to act like a madman. It could also be that the vintage Jim Carrey is gone forever, never coming back from his sabbatical from humor. “Yes Man” ends with a sweet finale, reminding me of Carrey’s continuing likeability and eagerly awaiting his next comedic effort.
Rated PG-13 for crude sexual humor, language and brief nudity.
