Among other things, the films of the Farrelly brothers are known for characteristically mixing lowbrow crudity and (allegedly) brainier comedy, along with outright cruelty and almost overwhelming sweetness.
Sometimes this uneasy combination of seemingly disparate elements works (such as in the mega-smash "There's Something About Mary"). But when it doesn't (the dud "Kingpin" comes to mind), it can make for a painful moviegoing experience.
Their latest, "Me, Myself & Irene," falls somewhere in-between. It has moments that are easily the funniest they've ever committed to screen, while at least as many others simply go too far or fall flat.
Also, there's a definite mean-spiritedness and a slight element of danger to "Me, Myself & Irene" that the other films, especially "Mary," wisely avoided. Thankfully the laughs outweigh them here — but just barely.
And again, since this is a Farrelly brothers movie, it's definitely not for anyone who's easily offended, as it relies on crude humor and profanity to get laughs. In fact, the film is already raising ire of protest groups for its treatment of taboo subjects, including animal cruelty and mental illness. (The latter complaints, by the way, might hold more water if it weren't so obvious that the film and subject matter aren't meant to be taken seriously, and if the Farrellys weren't equal-opportunity offenders.)
The story here is a variation on "All of Me" and, to a certain degree, "Fight Club," as mild-mannered Rhode Island highway patrolman Charlie Baileygates (Jim Carrey), after swallowing 17 years of rage, develops a second personality.
But the personality that emerges from this pushover is the complete opposite of Charlie — a loudmouth named Hank who suffers from delusions of grandeur. Reluctantly, Charlie's boss orders to him to undergo counseling and take some time off, after he escorts a woman, Irene Waters (Renee Zellweger), back to New York to answer to hit-and-run charges.
What no one could have anticipated is that both of Charlie's dueling personalities would fall in love with his beautiful prisoner — or that the three of them would wind up on the lam from crooked cops (Chris Cooper and Richard Jenkins) responsible for the trumped-up charges.
The Farrellys have made some questionable storytelling decisions before, but one of the best and silliest was drafting Rex Allen Jr. (son of the late Rex Allen, "The Voice of the West") to narrate the film, necessitated by an early flashback sequence.
Their pacing is a bit off here, but the co-directing/co-writing team manages to coax a terrific comedic performance out of their star. It helps that, after his being so "serious" for a while, that Carrey has thrown himself into a role perfectly suited to the rubber-faced and rubber-bodied actor. Without him, this film probably wouldn't work at all.
Since it's nearly a one-man show, the other cast members serve either as foils or straightmen, especially Zellweger, with whom he has considerable chemistry (the two became an item following the film shoot).
Not that supporting players don't put in serious bids to steal the show, including newcomer Michael Bowman (cast because of his unusual skin coloration) and Anthony Anderson, Mongo Brownlee and Jerod Mixon, who play Charlie's brilliant, "street-talking" stepsons.
"Me, Myself & Irene" is rated R for vulgar sexual gags and crude humor involving bodily functions, strong profanity, violence (including fistfights and gunplay), most of it done for laughs; male and partial female nudity, gore and use of racial epithets. Running time: 116 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com