Man on the Moon

Andy Kaufman had this whiff about him. Dangerous. So unpredictable you would hold your breath, wondering what would occur. Go on YouTube and watch that long-ago clip of him on the David Letterman show, firing profanities at wrestler Jerry Lawler. This was after Lawler slapped him out of his chair. Followed by Kaufman grabbing Letterman's mug and flinging its contents in the wrestler's face. Yes, it was all staged, great theater. But it was electric. Andy was just one-of-a-kind, whether doing his stage act, appearing on talk and sketch comedy shows, or (sometimes) while acting in TV comedies and films. Milos Forman's 1999 film MAN ON THE MOON attempts to summate the mercurial comedian's time in the spotlight. The director goes as far as to recreate (or co-opt) the same set from the sitcom Taxi, on which Kaufman became a household name. Forman recruited many of the series' stars, excepting Danny DeVito. That's OK, because DeVito is too busy playing Kaufman's agent, the man who discovers and nurtures him. 

The potential for an electrifying biography was ripe, can't miss. Somehow, Forman does. The fault does not lie with Jim Carrey, who gamely plays the comedian. He obsessively researched the part, often appearing and acting as Kaufman in public. He does a fine job in every possible way an actor can capture a real person. As a side note, I would have preferred Nicolas Cage as Kaufman, as I feel Cage has the right whiff of danger about him, but never mind. Carrey seems to get Kaufman to a T. I'm not sure if Forman does. Kaufman was the ultimate prankster. Every bit of contrived controversy was just that-engineered to dupe the audience. His disgusting alter ego, the pathetic lounge singer Tony Clifton, was played not only by him during various appearances, but also by Kaufman's creative co-conspirator, Bob Zmuda (played here by Paul Giamatti). The whole wrestling scenario was another raspberry. Oh, Kaufman really did get into the ring, but only with women. Kaufman seemed to become increasingly consumed by the wrestling thing, leading even fellow comedians to worry about him. The joke was on them, too. I imagine Kaufman laughed himself blind over that. 

Forman again worked with screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski; all three realized the fine THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT a few years prior. That film was another bio of another colorful character, and it worked beautifully. Maybe because the titular Hustler magnate was still alive to consult the project? Maybe because Flynt, while also larger than life, was easier to pin down? Kaufman is perhaps too enigmatic. Only he knew exactly what was at work in that cranium, and even that is questionable. MAN ON THE MOON is named after a fine R.E.M. song about Kaufman, but to add to this mundane affair, the band contributes a thoroughly mediocre track ("The Great Beyond") for this movie. MOON just didn't work. 

The rhythm, the cinematicism, not there. You know something is very wrong when a Comedy Central documentary on the same subject (which was running around the same time as this movie) is infinitely better. Especially astonishing when a front line director like Forman (AMADEUS, RAGTIME) is at the helm. Hard to figure. The movie just plays, plays like an amateur's version of fascinating events. Watching this movie is sort of like listening to a really great story (or joke, even) told by someone with no apparent personality, inflection, tone, expression. I bet Andy himself would've walked out on it, honestly.