"The Mask" (1994) - Movie Review

“The Mask” holds a special place in my heart. It is a time capsule for the love of the Hollywood fun time my native’s people thrived for. The complex Mappillai Vinayagar and Manicka Vinayagar are the theatres which were the only ones who strangely stressed and were adamant in viewing English films in a tamil film crazy town. Still the love for those block busters traveled long distance from the city of Los Angeles to the down south city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. The opening of “Independence Day”, “Jurassic Park”, “Titanic” and even a conversational drama “Platoon” drew the audience in the similar level as it would for a mega hit tamil film.

More than Jim Carrey doing the impossibly funny elastic clown, it was Cameroon Diaz as Tina Carlyle entering the Edge City bank and swirling her hair half drenched in rain which is the defining moment of glamour in my teen years. It is the sexiest introduction one would have missed from the 40s films and since I have not seen anything at that period of time, it was the single most sensual magnetism Diaz gave. Mentioning of 40s films, this film has props, car, colours and buildings resembling something been ripped from those times. The Coco Bongo Club, the Landfill Park, the flamboyant display to energize the rods and cons gives a sense of watching an old movie with new digital charismas.

And talking about digital effects, this might the origin of implementing the use of the technology for all the right reason one could think of. With Carrey’s twisty mannerisms and elongated facial flexibility, the effects belonged to its element. And the effects department had the tough job of putting the make up on Carrey’s green faced goofy man but should not block his comfort level in expressions through the tough leathery surface. Hence they came up with a thin and flimsy material to embody the face of him such that his expressions accentuated spectacularly with it.

For people who are not aware of the film, it is a fun ride I would strongly recommend to be watched. Of course it is not a classic drama but a classic in genre of digital effect and writing in tandem for a pitch perfect film of goofiness, silliness, production design and comic timing of Carrey in his talents taking every step in the Mask. These are the cadre of films which in the name of block buster cloud goes unnoticed of its real art work and the success of it in the genre it competed. Watching it now, while the plot contrives to the predictability, it is the performance, digital magic and the sets which uses that plot to progress it in the correct blend of entertainment.

It has the dialogues fast and silly, timing of physicality and the props and boy how they use it. The classic moment of Carrey’s mask running a parody on him and the old movie hits, the writings on the props (“Squeeze me gently” on the small air horn to blare out the hell of an irate car driver) and the inventive choreography of stunts and dance. The one liner delivered with an audacious display of confidence in his character and the funniness of it, Carrey is the only one who could have ever pulled this one. Knowing the lines he is going to say, I anticipated more and he never does get boring. (“Smokin it”, “P,A, R,T…. Y? Cos I gotta”, “Somebody stop me” and my brother’s favourite “I think he wants to communicate”).

Carrey after his “Ace Venture” got a great break in “The Mask” making it big in the film world and mainly proving that his crazy physical comedy has more layers than people would brush off. And Diaz went on to take more serious roles and kind of escaped the glamour role she would have been typecast forever. Director Chuck Russell in the documentaries of the making explains how the film got its origins from the comic book. In the book it is extremely graphic with horror and fun served together. It is intriguing story to learn about the process of something from another plate of entertainment jumped across shape shifting into a comedy. It tells a lot about the tremendous zeal of effort and passion one takes on making films which many might simply discard and disgrace with couple of words judging on the silliness of the jokes.

“The Mask” is the funniest film I ever seen purely on the whimsicality of an omnipotent character. While the actual laughs and excitement comes from the Carrey’s Green Man “The Mask”, the pulsing encouragement to root for this personality comes from the nice guy Ipkiss in the unforgiving world of Edge City. People purposefully or subconsciously prey on these personalities and many of us show certain aspects of nicety which is visible in him. This brought him and his night friend closer to ourselves and makes us have fun and cheer at the same time.