Their pacing is a bit off here, but the co-directing/co-writing team manages to coax a terrific comedic performance out of their star. It helps that, after his being so "serious" for a while, that Carrey has thrown himself into a role perfectly suited to the rubber-faced and rubber-bodied actor. Without him, this film probably wouldn't work at all.

Since it's nearly a one-man show, the other cast members serve either as foils or straightmen, especially Zellweger, with whom he has considerable chemistry (the two became an item following the film shoot).

Not that supporting players don't put in serious bids to steal the show, including newcomer Michael Bowman (cast because of his unusual skin coloration) and Anthony Anderson, Mongo Brownlee and Jerod Mixon, who play Charlie's brilliant, "street-talking" stepsons.

"Me, Myself & Irene" is rated R for vulgar sexual gags and crude humor involving bodily functions, strong profanity, violence (including fistfights and gunplay), most of it done for laughs; male and partial female nudity, gore and use of racial epithets. Running time: 116 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com