Gay. Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. That’s how Jim Carrey’s character Steven Russell describes himself in I Love You Phillip Morris, the long delayed romantic dramedy from Bad Santa writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Based on the real life story of Steven Russell, a Georgia born conman and multiple prison escapee, the film tracks the unlikely romance between Russell and his cellmate Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), the man who Russell would eventually break out of prison no less than four times in attempts to be reunited with. A rare American film not afraid to offer a frank depiction of a homosexual relationship, the movie had a difficult post production that included significant re-editing and trouble finding wide distribution. The belief that the film, featuring two big Hollywood stars, might be “too gay” for mainstream audiences kept it from reaching Australian cinemas for almost two years, but now that the movie has finally arrived it proves itself well worth the wait. Both a sensational comedy and a surprisingly affecting love story, I Love You Phillip Morris is an unmissable film that will entertain and move viewers gay and straight alike.

With plenty of great laughs for those with dark or dirty senses of humour, the first act of the film whisks breezily over Stevens’ childhood, marriage, self-outing and early days as a conman and then a prison inmate. A devout Christian until a near fatal car accident causes him to re-assess his life, the film uses Steven to make fun of both middle-American conservatism and liberal gay culture, without ever being mean or judgmental towards either side. Most of the films more explicit gay content is played for comedy, but never in a way that is homophobic (a la the more successful I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, amongst many others). I Love You Phillip Morris also reminds us of the natural comedic talents of the much maligned Jim Carrey. His performance is by no means a revelation – people who hate his normal goofy-faced shtick won’t be won over by this film – but this is some of the best material Carrey has worked with in over a decade, and his work in the film reflects it. Lesley Mann is also hilarious in her small role as Russell’s ex-wife, supportive of her former husband’s new lifestyle in spite of her Christian beliefs.

Once the eponymous Phillip Morris is introduced, the film takes on a much sweeter tone, although it is rarely if ever less funny. Ewan McGregor, although not entirely able to adopt a convincing American accent, is excellent as the gentle, soft-spoken and emotionally vulnerable Phillip Morris, while Carrey shows that his dramatic turns in films like The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind were far from flukes. First time directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa show plenty of skill behind the camera, with some tender visuals adding additional depth to the couples burgeoning romance. Somewhat surprisingly, the duo also resists the temptation to make Stevens’ prison breaks the driving force in the second half. Instead the film remains steadily focused on changing dynamics of Steven and Phillip’s relationship once they are both released and Steven quickly returns to his criminal behavior. His re-imprisonment and subsequent escapes are there and are always very funny, but they feel almost incidental to the romance, one that audiences will find themselves genuinely invested in.

The humour in I Love You Phillip Morris is decidedly on the filthy side, but its beautiful romance and emotionally poignancy will be the things that stick with you after all is said and done. Ficarra and Requa are a talented pair well worth keeping an eye on, while McGregor and Carrey deserve kudos not only for turning in some of their best work, but also for taking a chance on this gay little comedy. On that note, I can’t end this review without an obligatory comment on the sad state of Hollywood affairs. The fact that this film had such a difficult time finding distribution is more than a little telling, as is the fact that I’ve felt the need to repeatedly praise it for depicting something that few other films do. This is a wonderfully funny and touching movie and one can only hope that it will eventually be discovered and embraced by the same kinds of audiences who enjoy raunchy comedies about straight relationships such as Knocked Up and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Because the principal is the same: come for the dick jokes, stay for the heart. Phillip Morris has plenty of both.

I Love You Phillip Morris is currently playing in Australia in limited release, and is available in North America on DVD