Man on the Moon

(Universal)

Milos Forman's Man on the Moon, the late comic Andy Kaufman's last laugh at the rest of us, is an alternately smug and hilarious bio-pic that provides little insight into the motivation of its source. Surprisingly conventional and superficial, this film consists almost entirely of Carrey showcasing his uncannily dead-on impression of Kaufman's bits ("channeling" is the quasi-religious term the filmmakers are prompting, with an eye to an Oscar). Everyone else -- audiences, loved ones, David Letterman -- is just a reaction shot, failing to comprehend, getting offended, getting the joke, realizing that the joke is on them. Kaufman's life in Moon is a weird sadomasochistic dance ending in adoration. But classic Kaufman moments, such as the Mighty Mouse routine and the farewell concert at Carnegie Hall, are frighteningly well re-created, and there's pleasure in the outstanding performance of Paul Giamatti as Bob Zmuda, Kaufman's collaborator/alter ego/enabler.