Director Peter Weir certainly had his hands full with this unusual satirical comedy drama, but pulled off a remarkably assured, dazzling and memorable film, spearheaded by a powerhouse - and Golden Globe-winning - performance from Jim Carrey.
Nearly 30 years ago the Omnicam Corporation set out on a unique televisual experiment - to film one person's life from birth to death. That person is Truman Burbank (Carrey), the star of The Truman Show. But Burbank has no idea that the top-rated TV programme exists or that his life and his world are a sham. He thinks he lives in Seahaven, but in fact the island community is a giant television production set, located in a huge studio.
Burbank's apparently idyllic lifestyle is turned on its head when he gradually begins to realise that something is not quite right about his perfect hometown and the people who live there. Burbank - and his addicted viewers - are unprepared for the repercussions when he discovers the truth...
With superb support from Ed Harris as Burbank's creator Christof, this 1998 film is a sophisticated and compelling comment on society's fears about media control. Highly recommended.