I love you Phillip Morris

It is so not surprising that the USA release of I Love You Phillip Morris has been delayed yet again, to December 2010, perhaps. There were initial doubts, more than a year ago, that it would ever get distributed in the USA. Meanwhile, it has appeared around the rest of the world, won some awards and a lot of recognition for the acting of its two leads, Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. So what's the hold-up, you might ask?

Simple: the almost incredible story of an odd couple of gay men is true, and the alpha male caused almighty embarrassment for the legal system in the state of Texas. Steven Russell (Carrey) is a married man, father, Christian and secret gay who outed himself after a near-death auto crash. He moved to Florida, got a handsome lover, funded their high life through fraud ("Being gay is so expensive!"), and went to prison. Falling in love with a fellow prisoner, Philip Morris (McGregor), escaping custody several times, he dreamed up elaborate scams to be with and take care of the gullible Morris.

End-credit notes tell us that George Bush's Texas was so upset by his antics it sentenced him to life imprisonment and 23-hours-a-day lock-up.

The production team's next docudrama should be a making-of (and showing-of) feature. It would be fun to hear commentaries from Carrey and McGregor, a Canadian and a Brit, and its executive producer, Frenchman Luc Besson. They might have a lot to say about the American movie industry and its self-regulated moral codes.

The movie's writers, Glenn Ficcara and John Requa, have worked together for more than a decade (Cats & Dogs, Bad Santa and the remake of Bad News Bears), this is their debut as co-directors, and their distribution problem must be a nightmare. How much will they have to cut or re-dub in order to get even the most restrictive rating? If there is ever an American dvd, it'll be interesting to compare its length and contents with the international version.

As two of Hollywood's best-known straight guys, Carrey and McGregor clearly had no fear about playing unusually open gays (unusually unashamedly too, as active and passive types) and they do it brilliantly. There is none of the usual coyness or angst that made Brokeback Mountain a sombre misery.

These real gay guys kiss and suck passionately, and their tale jokingly notes that survival in prison depends mainly on sucking dick. There's a comically shocking fucking scene at the start of the movie, but the screenplay thereafter avoids anything suggesting sodomy (or the virtues of condoms). One secondary character dies of AIDS, and other four-letter words punctuate the dialogue. There's also broad comedy, wittily amoral moments, and satirical studies of the straight world.

All of that is enough to discourage US multiplex proprietors. Another negative factor for the movie's acceptance by mainstream audiences will be the Carrey character's personality. He's an egomaniac, although his con artistry is made credible by Carrey's relatively subtle non-Liar-style performance. He makes it easy to sense that both his ex-wife and McGregor, Southern-accented sweetness personified, loved the man.

Will Texas ever release Steven Russell? That'll be a crucial bonus feature in the movie's 25th-anniversary edition.