Unless you've been living some kind of cloistered Truman Show-like existence, you know that Jim Carrey recently played a nice guy who was the unwitting star of the world's most popular TV show.

Carrey starred as Truman Burbank, the only guy who didn't know that his hometown was a soundstage, and that he was on display 24 hours a day for an addicted TV audience.

You probably also know that Ed Harris, a likely best supporting actor nominee again, starred as Christoff (get it?), the supreme being (i.e. executive producer) of The Truman Show.

You may also know that The Truman Show, available on video this week, was a big hit, a critical favourite and another feather in the cap of director Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poets Society, the under-rated Fearless).

The problem if you know all of this - if you are in on the gimmick - is that The Truman Show just won't captivate you to the same degree. It is a fine film, but you need to sit down with no idea of what you're getting into - like Truman discovering his own fake world. That is not possible now for most people.

Everyone hates it when a film reviewer gives away the ending - but in this case revealing the beginning is as much of a cardinal sin.

But if you are determined to rent The Truman Show this weekend, you will have to content yourself with mulling over the film's ideas about the cult of personality of which we are all active members, and considering the quality of Carrey's performance.

Much has been made of Carrey's big step toward serious thespian status, but all The Truman Show demonstrated was that Carrey could act in a movie and not just make a Jim Carrey movie. And still there are times in this film when all his admirable restraint appears ready to give way to unrestrained mugging.

Carrey is a major talent and it appears that he will, like Robin Williams, make the transition from cartoon-like comic performances to dramatic roles. Next up, Carrey plays the late comic Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. It will be interesting to see if Carrey simply impersonates Kaufman or attempts a fully fleshed-out characterization.

Early in his career, Carrey performed small parts in Once Bitten, Peggy Sue Got Married and Pink Cadillac among others. He hinted at the demented comic genius within in 1989's Earth Girls Are Easy. After wowing audiences as the only white guy on Keenen Ivory Wayans' sketch comedy show, In Living Color, Carrey hit the big time in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Here are the highlights of the Carrey filmmography:

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1993): With his cowlick from hell, talking butt cheeks and all-righty-then catchphrase, a new comedy hero was born. The film was forgettable but it was a dazzling and exhausting showcase for a guy with a lot of comedy up his sleeve.

The Mask ('94): A virtuoso physical performance from Carrey as a mild-mannered clerk who turns into an animated superhero of sorts after he discovers an ancient mask. Perfect followup to Ace Ventura.

Dumb and Dumber ('94): A major guilty pleasure. Carrey is hilarious but the surprise is Jeff Daniels is every bit as good in this road movie about two morons who hit the road in search of love and find a lot of money.

Batman Forever ('95): A dismal chapter of the Dark Knight saga with Carrey effectively chewing scenery as the Riddler. Carrey easily steals the film and wipes the floor with Tommy Lee Jones in a comedy showdown.

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls ('95): Knockoff sequel with a few funny moments.

Liar Liar ('96): A tepid one-joke comedy that owed its smash success to Carrey's now-enormous popularity.

The Cable Guy ('96): This unfairly criticized black comedy is a fine film with an edgy, but very funny, performance from Carrey and good supporting work from Matthew Broderick.


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