Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) prefers to sit at home, to watch movies and to miss out on the life around him. Watch „Yes Man“, but then go out and then enjoy life to the fullest.
A light-hearted film with a deeper message.
German version
Loan officer Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) doesn't like his work basically, and when it comes to promotions, he gets overlooked. His girlfriend has left him and he doesn't answer the phone, because he doesn't want to get involved with anybody, not even his best friends. Carl's best friend Peter (Bradley Cooper) has to trick him to get him to a bar where he announces his wedding plans, which also doesn't change much in Carl's demeanour.
Only when his old acquaintance Nick (John Michael Higgins), who Carl meets by chance, dares him and invites him to a seminar for yes-men, the sceptic and notorious nay-sayer begins to change. At the insistence of yes-guru Terrence Bundley (Terence Stamp), who seems to know exactly what Carl's life looks like, Carl promises himself to say only yes from now on.
Nick enforces Carl's decision, lest he folds directly after the event when Carl is about to decline a homeless person's request to give a lift. After he has dropped off the homeless, his car will not start. Therefore he has to walk to the next gas station to get some gas. There he meet a Allison (Zooey Deschanel), a very sweet woman, who offers Carl to give him a ride on her motorbike back to his car. He accepts.
By and by saying yes becomes a habit for Carl and his life undergoes a radical change. Suddenly he gets along with his colleagues at work and he gets promoted, he pulls all-nighters, learn Korean and gets himself into life. Furthermore he takes one of the flyers for the guy who plugs concerts and goes to one of the shows. There is only a handful of spectators, but the singer turns out to be Allison. Slowly they discover a strong and adventurous affection for each other. But when Carl is held as a terrorist after a short trip, this raises up the question, if he shouldn't say no every now and then.
Review:
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After the movie "Pay It Forward" I thought that the world really could change for the better, if only the snowball effect of good deeds got under way, but either this movement has passed me by or never took place. But I have to confess myself guilty for never really getting the ball rolling to the proper extent. The world has not become better due to the film.
But after enjoying "Yes Man" I have adopted the hedonistic resolution to do it like Jim Carrey and say yes more often and by that change my own little world. I guess we all know that if everybody looked after himself, then everyone is taken care of.
The movie "Yes Man" conveys the message that with a simple yes one gets into the flow of life, because one is more open for it and seizes the opportunities that present themselves. One never knows what this gets going. It goes without saying that with this attitude to life one doesn't experience the funny side solely, but at least one lives life to the fullest. Nay-sayers in turn ban themselves from life to watch it from the sidelines.
"Yes Man" is a feel-good movie with many a funny situation or idea, wonderful music and great actors. Fortunately Jim Carrey's clownish days are mostly over after "The Truman Show". Since then he has ennobled several more profound comedies, and "Yes Man" is a paragon for this. With a lot of fun it conveys an intriguing and by all means charming philosophy of life.
I have left the cinema with bouncing spirits and good intentions. How long I will be able to hold onto it, remains to be seen...
