The Grinch is an insanely confused movie. It is stuck somewhere in the netherworld between "adult fairy tale" and "kiddy Christmas romp". Ron Howard is a director for whom the word "wholesome" was created. When he attempts darker material, the result more often than not is an unsteady mess a-la Backdraft. In more assured hands (re. Tim Burton), The Grinch could have been a deliciously wicked black comedy. As is, Howard’s creation irritates more than amuses.
In the land of Whoville, the people are perfect and perky. Every year, they live for Christmas; a large clock in the centre of town stands proud, ticking down the months, days, hours till the next yuletide season. Outside of Whoville, lives someone who loathes their way of life. He is commonly known as the Grinch and the very name brings fear into the town’s residents. One year, he becomes so infuriated by the Whos’ festive cheer that he comes down from his lair with one thing on his mind: the destruction of all things merry and triumphant.
Without Jim Carrey, The Grinch would have been almost intolerable. He takes the movie by its scrawny, insubstantial neck and simply makes it a showpiece for his exhaustive comic talent. The characters that surround him are nothing more than cartoon-like sprites who buzz around him without an inkling of depth or sincerity. They barely exist and merely add to the already under-cooked, over-stuffed mess. There really isn’t much here for adult viewers who might have been expecting – given the nature of the central character – some blackly comedic laughs. The Grinch may be mean but his meanness is just too darn goofy and PG-minded. The idea that he might remotely scare any kid is ludicrous to say the least. The film itself looks stunning, from the ever-active town to the wonderful snowy vistas around the Grinch’s home, the screen is forever colourful and simply glistens with healthy life. Like everything else, Ron Howard’s direction is somewhat cartoonish in its sheer relentless hyperactivity and will, at the very least keep the shortest attention span happy.
The most important aspect here is of course the eponymous green grouch himself. He is brought to life with startling precision, a performance so full of wit and energy, proving Carrey’s undeniable talent once and for all. The Grinch isn’t just a pantomime bah-humbug meanie, he is surprisingly granted a good deal of pathos, allowing the audience a measure of empathy. The Grinch does all these cruel things because he really just wants acceptance, having been viewed as a freak since birth. Now, it’s too late and all he wants to do is wreak havoc and in his attempts to destroy Christmas, he really does become a hero, showing the “festive season” up for the shallow moneymaking scheme it truly is.
Around Carrey is a reliable comedy cast, with Jeffrey Tambor and Christine Baranski playing their firmly established movie roles with just enough vigour to avoid being swept away entirely by the movie’s Carrey-centric hub. On the surface, Taylor Momsen’s Cindy Lou looks nauseatingly sweet and adorable, but its these traits that make her all the funnier as she questions the current state of Christmas and plays a perfect foil to the star’s continual gurning.
At the end of the day, the irony lies as thick as the snow in Whoville. The movie’s message is that Christmas isn’t about money or presents but rather family and being with the one you love. In a movie so consumed with endless merchandising opportunities, this “message” leaves you just a little cold. As I write this, the movie has taken $137 million in the space of two weeks at the US Box Office and with Christmas still a few weeks away I fully expect this sum to at least double by the end of its run. The Grinch’s success is perhaps inevitable and I’m happy to see Jim Carrey back with his star power very much intact but I already miss his established dramatic talent, shown to such great effect in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. The Grinch really could have been something special had kid-friendly entertainment not been key, but in Ron Howard’s hands how else could it have turned out? |
