Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is a man that has shut himself away from life following a divorce. Despite the best efforts of his friends Peter (Bradley Cooper), and Rooney (Danny Masterson), Carl is content to keep his life to toiling away in a dead end banking job and limiting his social activity to renting DVDs and watching them at home alone.
Following another disappoint day at work where he learned that he is once again being overlooked for a promotion, Carl runs into an old friend who tells him about a seminar that changed his life and has freed him up to do and be what he wants.
With his curiosity peaked, Carl attends the seminar that is conducted by the charismatic Terrance Bundley (Terrance Stamp), who decides to make Carl his project, and tells him that he must agree to say yes to things that are offered to him. Although reluctant, Carl takes the advice and says yes to the first thing he is asked, which is to give a ride to a stranger.
The chance ride and resulting situations that follow lead Carl to meet a quirky and attractive lady named Allison (Zooey Deschanel), who intrigues Carl. The next day, Carl learns that he is getting the promotion and despite getting into some outrageous and at times, scary situations, he continues to say Yes to everything that is offered to him, as he fears the consequences of breaking the covenant of yes.
Carl eventually meets up with Allison again and learns that she spends her evenings singing in a unique band, and the two begin a relationship soon after. What follows is a very funny and amusing story that tracks the crazy events that follow Carl as he begins to open himself not only to Allison but to the possibilities that life presents to him every day when one makes themselves open to new possibilities.
The film is based on the book by Danny Wallace which covers his exploits when he decided to yes to everything thing presented to him for one year. While the film has little in common with the book aside from the title and saying yes premise.
“Yes Man” is Carrey’s best film in years and is a triumphant return to the comedy films that made him such a huge success. He plays Carl with a very likeable and easygoing manner that makes him easy to root for and his energetic performance once again proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is one of the most gifted comedians of our generation.
Despite the differences in their ages, Carrey and Deschanel make a winning combination and the strong supporting cast anchored by Stamp, Cooper, and Rhys Darby make this a very funny and enjoyable comedy.
4 stars out of 5
