TRIBUTES AND RETROSPECTIVES

Double Take

The Mask

Chuck Russell
1994 - United States - 1h41

Screenings : tuesday 23 - 4:30 pm - Pathé - 8 - presented by Paul Bahain - ancien hockeyeur

Stanley Ipkiss is an ordinary bank clerk. He adores Tex Avery cartoons. One evening he comes across an ancient mask which holds the supernatural power to reveal and exaggerate the wearer's personality. Every time he wears it he becomes The Mask, a crazy, self-confident and resourceful character who gets up to all sorts of antics.

At the end of the 1980s, New Line Cinema was unsure of the future of the Freddy franchise. Chuck Russell convinced them that the series could go a step further into Freddy's nightmare world thanks to the latest visual effects technology. The film brought in more from the box office than the previous two combined. The Mask extends Russell's experiments and mixes digital effects with Jim Carrey's performance, thus creating a unique big screen character, a live action version of a Tex Avery character. Just like in Avery's cartoons, the wolf falls head-over-heels for the pin-up and gets up on stage to sing his head off. Naturally the film wouldn't be the same without the comic presence of Jim Carrey, who is able to get into the skin of two characters with devastating energy. The other revelation is Cameron Diaz, in her first screen role. The two actors were at their peak during the 90s and 2000s.

CAST AND CREW

Cast : Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Riegert, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni
Screenplay : Michael Fallon, Mark Verheiden, Mike Werb
Cinematography : John R. Leonetti
Editing : Arthur Coburn
Music : Randy Edelman

Production : New Line Cinema, Dark Horse Entertainment

French distributor : Warner Bros