The Majestic (2001)
Review by Thespia
Film:
DVD:

Directed by Frank Darabont
Written by Michael Sloane
Starring Jim Carrey, Martin Landau, Laurie Holden, Allen Garfield, Amanda Detmer

Features:

• Additional Scenes
  
• Movie within the Movie: Sand Pirates of the Sahara –the complete sequence
  
• Theatrical Trailer
  
• Cast/Director Film Highlights
  

Anamorphic: Yes.

My Advice: Rent It.

Peter Appleton (Carrey) is a young man working as a screenwriter in 1940’s Hollywood, that is until he is placed on the famous “blacklist”. As he hurries away from his fate, he suffers a car accident and then amnesia. When Peter washes up on the shore of the tiny town of Lawson, he is “recognized” as being one of its long-lost citizens returning from the war. Encouraged by its hero’s supposed return, the town begins to re-build The Majestic (the local movie theater), resurrecting the town itself in the process. Everything is going well until Peter’s memory and enemies return, forcing him to face the man he was and to discover the man he will be.

This movie was enjoyable, but became a bit too dramatically corny at the end for my tastes. The plot was somewhat predictable throughout, but still entertaining. The cast was strong and well-chosen. Jim Carrey continues to prove himself as a serious actor with this role, further removing himself from being "Ace Ventura" in my mind. The most attractive element of this movie is its careful crafting (and juxtaposition) of the respective atmospheres of 1940’s Hollywood and a quaint post-WWII town. I also enjoyed the way that the characters’ respect and passion for The Majestic reflects the awe that 1940’s America had for movies in general.

The DVD, however, left much to be desired. I would have enjoyed a commentary very much, especially because this is a period film and the research, thoughts and effort that it takes to craft a film in such a setting would have been interesting to delve into with the director and/or writer. What little features that were included could have been much better. The “cast/director film highlights” feature is basically a list of cast and crew with bios of Sloane, Darabont, and Carrey (not much more than a web page would provide). The “movie within the movie” is entertaining, but nothing added from what we see in the actual film.

I also thought that the summary of the events surrounding the blacklisting in Hollywood could have been vastly improved. What about some video footage of the real trials, or interviews with people who had to go through it? Something like that would have been very interesting. I also could not understand why “The Making of The Majestic,” which appeared on television some time ago, was not included. If something like that exists, why not put it on the DVD? Isn’t that the whole point of making them in the first place? Lastly, the case is cheaply made and difficult to open. If Warner Brothers is going to go to the trouble of making DVDs, it should protect them with more than a flap of cardboard.

In general, The Majestic is a pleasant movie worth seeing at least once. Carrey completists should seek it out, but the rest of us would be fine with a rental.