Biopics. Don't you just love 'em? Sometimes, but any case for the defence of this hit-and-miss genre would surely reference Milos Forman's take on the life and times of Andy Kaufman.
Although Kaufman always declared himself a 'song and dance man', it was his punk rock approach to comedy that won the hearts and minds of people the world over: a five year stint on Taxi (a show he hated), four years of wrestling bouts with the fairer sex and outrageous stunts involving bongo drums, 'The Great Gatsby' and the vertical hold on a tv set were just a few personal highlights before his untimely death at the age of 35.
Following on from his coming-of-age turn in The Truman Show, Jim Carrey is once again on top form, seemingly possessed by the television terrorist, with admirable support from agent Danny Devito and wife Courtney Love (poetic licence as Kaufman never married). Praise too for Milos Forman, whose uncanny knack of successfully mixing comedy with tragedy is well to the fore, along with his customary visual flair - the Carnegie Hall scene is a delight - and obvious affection for his subject matter.
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