Yes Man is another chance for Jim Carrey to unleash his inner anarchist, a mild-mannered everyman who – thanks to highly unusual circumstances that could only be concocted in a screenwriter’s laptop – gets a chance to release the psychotic clown within. Carl Allen, a glum junior loan officer, does that after being dragged to a motivational speech by a positive-thinking guru (Terrence Stamp, straight-faced, scary and very very funny). Carl leaves convinced that his life will improve if he says yes to every opportunity that comes his way. Despite this being a Carrey vehicle, director Peyton Reed manages some nice touches here and there around his star. Some are complete asides – there is a nice running gag about a jogging and camera club that unwisely combines both pursuits – while others involve the smart supporting cast (especially Zooey Deschanel, a bit of a loose cannon herself as Carl’s unlikely love interest). Mostly, though, Reed arranges the necessary elements for each comic set piece and then lets Carrey loose.
