Yes Man (2008) Review
Yes Man follows nowhere man Carl Allen, who, after attending a seminar about saying yes to everything, takes it to heart, a move that will change him and his whole outlook on life.
Loosely based on the book and true life experience of Danny Wallace, Yes Man is one of the few rom-coms out there with a true message to it’s story, underneath all of the comedy, romance, and drama. While being a story most anyone could resonate with, I’ll admit, it’s a journey that I particularly connected with in the parallels I share with pre-yes man Carl, in respects to his dead-end and reclusive lifestyle. Saying yes, while creating this placebo effect for luck, is really just a metaphor for living your life to the fullest and how, when actually lived, can improve nearly every aspect of your life.
The mishmash of Jim Carrey in this however seems to be the entire point of this vehicle, allowing him to touch on some of that Eternal Sunshine seriousness, while getting to flex his obvious comedy chops in respects to the story where a man finally sees the light. As we chart Carl’s ups and downs, we sink and rise as well, as he laughs, we laugh, and as he lives, we also find a reason to live, even if it’s extemporaneously through someone else.
We get a really fun cast as well, starring Molly Sims, Sasha Alexander, John Michael Higgins, Terence Stamp, Danny Masterson, Bradley Cooper, Rhys Darby, Zoey Deschanel, and Jim Carrey. Carrey shows some serious signs of his 90s self, with his typical overdone, oddball acting contrasting heavily against the reclusive, nowhere man personality, though he makes a good pairing with Deschanel, who excels at that new girl (wink), super endearing, love interest type.
Yes Man, directed by Peyton Reed, is, when boiled down, about what's in your heart and being open to all the possibilities life has to offer, finding joy in the simplicities of life, and with it, all the avenues it may open for you moving forward.
7.7/10
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