Member review

On the outside, Truman Burbank appears to be your average. However, he plays the starring role in his own TV show, all about his life, and he isn’t even aware of it. For the past 30 years he has remained clueless, but will some set malfunctions and a soul destined for exploration create the desire to leave too strong to resist?

Overall, this film is truly a masterpiece. Peter Weir has outdone himself and Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Natascha McElhone and Ed Harris especially have given groundbreaking performances. Carrey as Truman was a very interesting appearance, due to his links in comedy films such as ‘The Mask’,’ Dumb and Dumber’ and ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.’ However, he did not disappoint. He and McElhone have incredible chemistry as Truman and his secret love Lauren and this also makes the main plot point throughout the film a lot easier to believe. Everything down to the small details have been cleverly constructed to tell a story with a believable world and realistic characters that we as an audience can empathise with. From the small details, such as there being hidden cameras in every scene and dates aligning differently on the set, to the bigger details, such as the opening credits for the film being the opening credits to the show and Meryl’s fingers being crossed on her and Truman’s wedding photos, every aspect of this film has been well crafted and though about.

In addition to this, ‘The Truman Show’ brings up several messages reminiscent to that of ‘Black Mirror’ and ‘Inside No.9.’ The obsession we see from regular people to the show with some having followed it for years and then as the show ends just immediately turning it over to another channel makes us question our own obsession with media and makes us wonder if we really care for the media we are consuming, or if we’re just trying to fill a gap in our lives. Similarly, it also brings up ethical problems that are now more present than ever, is it right to film someone’s entire life without their consent and also has religious imagery, for example the creator of the show in the Sky acting as a figure for God. Therefore, could this be a metaphor for Truman’s spiritual journey? Regardless, the fact there is so many possible metaphors and philosophies presented through a two hour film is truly a testament to its skill.

To conclude, ‘The Truman Show’ is a truly groundbreaking film. The depth that they delve into Truman’s psychology and the exploration of the psychology of our society is truly commendable. This paired with its insane attention to detail truly makes this into one of the best films ever released.