I don’t know about you, but one of the faces I’ve been missing in Hollywood is Jim Carrey. If you grew up in the 80’s and 90’s you got used to seeing him regularly on In Living Color and in his many hit movies, from Ace Ventura to The Truman Show.
Really, he’s the Eminem of the big screen. He came up in a time when black comedians were dominating and he emerged as one of the GOATS. If you think Kevin Hart is a box office success, he can’t even compare to the run that Carrey had. And really, I don’t know if anyone can.
Jim Carrey always struck me as one of those dark, almost disturbed, comedic minds. So when I saw him pull away from the spotlight I was a bit concerned. Turns out there was no reason to be alarmed.
Great creative minds eventually explore other forms of expression. Some are forced to pivot when their movies or albums are no longer selling how they used to, while for others its about simple curiosity. The latter seems to describe where we find Jim Carrey today.
In the David Bushell directed and produced mini-doc I Needed Color, we get to see another side of this comedic legend- Jim Carrey the painter- and it’s quite refreshing. This doc reveals how he started painting and allows us to see another aspect of his brilliance; no funny faces or punchlines. It’s always a little trippy to see a comedian in a more serious context, and this documentary is no different.
I Needed Color explores themes like artistic expression, relationships, spirituality, and solitude, straight from the mind of Carrey. As a social activist, we always knew that he had a deeper side, but in this documentary we see a thoughtful and intelligent side of Jim Carrey that we’ve never seen before.
If you’re a fan of Jim Carrey, comedy, art, or culture in general, you’ll absolutely enjoy this film. It’s thought-provoking; even inspirational. By the end you’ll feel the sudden urge to pick up a brush and start painting. Don’t fight it.
By the way, spoiler alert for old school Jim Carrey fans! He finally shaved his beard.
Rating: Diamond
