"Today is the day I change my life."

I say this to myself almost every day, as I expect most of the desperately probing do. Most of the time, this pledge manifests itself in clean laundry... and that's if I'm especially motivated. But for Steven Russell, the cunning hero of the daring adult comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, who and where he is is constantly in flux. It's the why that stays the same; he does it all for the love of a boy.

Jim Carrey plays Steven, not a born conman, but an eternally patient and inventive one. After 30 or so years of living a straight Southern Christian life that doesn't quite fit, a car accident jolts Steven's circuits. The man is awake and he craves freedom. And other men. I Love You Phillip Morris is not for even the slightest of homophobes, though it would probably do them good to watch it. Here we see gay love in several capacities - tender romance, curious flirting, wistful yearning and ferocious f*cking. Still, the characters' sexuality is beside the point. This is a movie about a man doing what he's best at. Ewan McGregor plays Phillip Morris, the gentle soul Steven meets and courts throughout his several stays in prison. You see, despite being an exceptional impostor, Steven's reach always just barely exceeds his grasp. Luckily, his ingenious attempts to escape incarceration are the highlights of an already outstanding story.

Many films profess to be "adult" without actually earning the label. In this nation of ours, violence and nudity are eagerly gobbled up by humans no older than twelve. Here is a film deserving of the denotation. It speaks to our unattainable ideals and infallible urges - how we are all at the mercy of our talents. How does a person who never existed keep on existing, wonders Steven. He is a man unable to live an honest life, except in love, but is that enough?

I must speak frankly about the production: It is virtually flawless. Cowriters and directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra got their start writing for the Nickelodeon cartoon The Angry Beavers, followed by the features Cats & Dogs, Bad Santa and the Bad News Bears remake. I Love You Phillip Morris is their first foray into directing and the result is staggering - a blistering script, kinetic editing, and two wonderful performances from their leads. As a character, Steven Russell is positively Tyler Durden-esque in his frenetic resourcefulness, and it is a glorious thing that he gets his own movie.

Oh, and by the way, it's a true story.

Sum...ology: A threateningly good movie about lying your ass off in the name of love.