Der Mondmann

This film is absolutely disgusting, stupid, idiotic, I didn't like it at all!... No, no, no, no, this film is absolutely brilliant and riveting!… What's truth and what's fabrication? That must have been the feelings of the audiences of Andy Kaufman, a master of misdirection, a man who lived an exciting, crazy, funny and sad life at the same time. And that is what this film is like, and I mean it. Forman knew that a life story like this was worth filming. His direction is downright brilliant, fresh, as if by a young filmmaker at the peak of their powers. Jim Carrey certainly doesn't ruin it, he's wonderful, but I liked him even more as Kaufman's alter-ego Tony Clifton, I cracked up laughing. Those two hours are watchable in one breath. Bravo! (20.09.2003)

I was a fool for putting off this film for a year because, instead of trusting Forman, I was a afraid of the not very appealing duo of Carrey and DeVito and the story about a comedian I didn’t know. It’s always nice to be surprised and thrilled by a film that you would’ve never expected. Funny and impressive gem. (11.02.2012)

To start off with, I found this so confusing that I doubted that it could have been made by a director of Miloš Forman’s caliber. But then all the parts begin to fall into place and I realized that the entire storytelling format and structure beautifully reflects Kaufman’s beguiling humor. The screenplay is highly polished in all respects. Watched a second time, you realize that Man on the Moon is a movie that is thought-out to the very last detail where everything serves toward forming the illusion. All in all perfect. Jim Carrey excels on all fronts in the main role and the others skillfully support him. And as for the directing, this is certainly one of Forman’s most ingenious pictures, while not being his very best. (29.01.2007)

My rating is a bit reserved because I evaluate with distance, I saw Man on the Moon x years ago, as an immature observer. I'll probably try it again, just to see if I'll go higher. Something tells me that Carrey's life role of a perfect psychopath deserves it. (31.01.2006)

Miloš Forman's filmography has two peaks: In terms of content and the significance of the theme, his best film is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but in terms of film language, editing, and film structure, the most interesting is definitely Man on the Moon. From a commercial perspective, it is Forman's most daring film, as such a demanding work could not find a place in the American market. Jim Carrey's performance is literally fascinating, and undoubtedly, it is his triumph, through which he definitively broke free from the box of a mocking comedian in undemanding comedies. Thanks to the complex personality of Andy Kaufman, the myth surrounding his character, and a series of mystifications accompanying his life (which the screenplay skillfully utilizes), I think it is the most interesting biographical film I have had the opportunity to see so far. Overall impression: 100%. (13.06.2006)

Ich bin froh, dass ich meine Erfahrung mit Man on the Moon habe reifen lassen. Miloš Forman hat den Film mit Jim Carrey in der Zeit von dessen größtem Ruhm gedreht, und nur wenige waren auf den Genrewechsel vorbereitet. Aber wir wissen jetzt, vor allem nach seiner Begegnung mit der Serie I'm Dying Up Here (2017), wie Carreys Beziehung zu den Anfängen des Stand-ups aussah. Schließlich war das Format damals hierzulande noch gar nicht eingeführt, doch heute können wir es in vollen Zügen genießen. (05.07.2021)

The immense weirdness and strangeness of the film bothered me a lot, instead of making everything more interesting and profound. In terms of filmmaking, there's really nothing much to criticize, Miloš Forman is still a great director and he managed to create a film that will definitely make you think hard, which I certainly appreciate a lot. Moreover, Jim Carrey was perfectly cast for the role and the fact that his character could have been played by Kevin Spacey doesn't bother me at all – this was a role for Carrey and no one else, and he played it in an exceptional way. But that’s where all the good stuff ends, because with its hard-to-understand blending of fiction and reality, the film gradually lost my sympathy, Andy's TV appearances seemed terribly weird and absurd, and the 118 minutes were filled with polite and subdued applause rather than enthusiastic and never-ending cheers. I certainly expected more, but I can't say that I was disappointed by Man on the Moon. 65% (22.10.2012)