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adamwatchesmovies · 4 years ago

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Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

I had low expectations when I began Me, Myself & Irene but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. This barren landscape of a comedy is a tough one to get through at nearly 2 hours.

Rhode Island state trooper Charlie Baileygates (Jim Carrey) has been stomped on and taken advantage of by everyone his whole life. His suppressed rage has caused him to develop a split personality, Hank. After a violent rampage, his coworkers are eager to get rid of Charlie and entrusts him to bring Irene Waters (Renée Zellweger) to the police in Massena, New York.

The idea of Jim Carrey playing a Jekyll & Hyde type of role is promising. The man's a natural when it comes to going all-out and he does it well. You just wish both of his characters weren't losers like they are. You expect the “evil” side to be able to throw punches, or street smart or something. That way the milquetoast regular guy could be the “straight man” to himself. Audiences welcome underdogs. Dual losers? not so much. He sucks in the way only a phony, manufactured, badly-written character in a lousy comedy can suck.

The Farrelly brothers are trying way too hard to be funny while having no idea what to do with their time. We’ve got jokes about sex toys, masturbation, cleft chins that look like anuses, and more juvenile material that feels like rejects from There’s Something About Mary and Dumb & Dumber. To be fair, there are some laughs here and there. The end credit's insistence on identifying every single person - including the extras - is amusing. Renée Zellweger as Irene is pretty good. Maybe it feels that way because she never does anything to irritate you.

Just thinking of Me, Myself & Irene is exhausting. It’s a comedy that isn’t funny. It’s got some romantic elements that aren’t sweet. There are no memorable characters or scenes that haven’t been done better somewhere else. I didn’t like it, I don’t recommend it, I don’t want to think about it anymore, or watch any of Me, Myself & Irene ever again. (On DVD, February 16, 2015)