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Being John Malkovich [DVD] [2000] starring: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich, Ned Bellamy

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Average rating -

Rating: - Daring - Imaginative - Complex

This film was one that i was reluctant to watch, it looked very dark and quite complex. It was dark and it was complex, but it was very entertaining, witty and moving in places. I found myself really feeling the characters emotions. Its a great story that is well executed by the cinematic techniques, the acting and the imaginative set (floor 7 1/2). Ok its not for everyone, but i recommend you rent it first so you can make up your mind, give it a chance.

Rating: - Post-modern masturbation.

Being John Malkovich ranks amongst the worst films I have ever seen- far beneath horrors such as Breakdance 2: Electric Boogaloo, Always, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer & La Cienaga. Why was this film so critically feted and viewed as daring?- I thought I might have missed something the first time I endured this- so watched it again with an open mind. It was worse...

This film is far from imaginative- it is merely clever in a cliched kooky manner: like what would happen if this failed puppeteer discovered a hole into John Malkovich's head? Er, nothing. The characters are beyond tedious and the premise is dated and inconsiquential- this type of post-modern transference was done decades ago by writers such as Jorge Luis Borges or Philip K Dick. It seems this film is appreciated JUST because it's "weird" inverted comments. This film couldn't be weird if it wanted to be, it makes the alien seem conventional- contrast this to something with imagination like Orphee, Un Chien Andalou, El Topo, Eraserhead or The Cabinet of Dr Caligari.

So give yourself a pat on the back for watching something weird, give me a copy of The Annotated Alice to avert boredom. Being John Malkovich is deeply irritating- why centre it around such a theatrical actor? Why come up with a lo-budget art-house styled movie and let it hinge around a well known Hollywood star? What is this "about" exactly- it's not surreal enough so I assume it is some sort of discourse on contemporary identity and/or celebrity- the culture of nothing. This film typifies the current Western culture- apolitical, self-indulgent nonsense. Can I give it zero stars, please?

Rating: - Buy it, watch it again and again....

The plot as we all know it - puppeteer Craig(John Cusack) with animal-lover wife(Cameron Diaz) living out a simple but unfulfilled marriage. In more ways than one, we are shown that - her need for a child, his aspirations to make puppetry his rice-bowl, her animals, his stories as performed by his puppets....

This takes into another world as Craig finds a portal/door into John Malkovich's mind. All the true characteristics of the main characters start coming out. Spike Jonze takes us into a world of confusion, real confusion within the mind trips into being John Malkovich. But all within the confines of achieving what the characters really want for themselves.

John Malkovich delights in this "role". He steals the title and the movie!! John Cusack's performance is understated. Diaz and Keener proficient. Watch for the cameos by Charlie Sheen, Hoffman, Sean Penn, Gary Sinise etc....

The real scene stealers - the puppets. Kudos to the puppeteer!! This is a real movie, watch it and go away thinking. The comedy is incidental. A very well put together film. A classic alongside Gilliam and Kubrick's works.

Rating: - Dares to break the mould and succeeds..

... but it's far from the best film of the 90's, this is flawed genius.

The surreal premise for this movie, sees struggling puppeteer Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) take on a job as an office clerk at a company on the 7 1/2 floor (this low ceiling office building is only the start of the weirdness), however he discovers a portal into the head of John Malkovich....hence the title of the film. Also key to the plot is Maxine (Catherine Keener) a detached sassy office worker...who is the object of everyone's desire in this movie...Malkovich, Schwartz and his wife Lotte (Cameron Diaz) , who after she goes through the portal, finds that she is something of a closet lesbian., this sets up a battle of jealously, control and affections for Malkovich and Maxine between Craig and his wife Lotte. Charlie Kaufmann's quirky script and the full length movie direction debut of acclaimed and often original music video director Spike Jonze, combine to make for a unique, strange and fascinating movie but one that never quite reaches it's full potential. There are times when the strangeness of it all seemed to drag but then there other times when it was as inspired as it could have been. The film is not about realism (anyone going into this wanting to see a realistic movie, should not even think about watching this film) but it does throw about questions about being in control of yourself and others. The film really hits its stride when puppeteer Craig can find he can control Malkovich rather than just see the world through Malkovich's eyes for a limited amount of time; this puppeteer analogy makes for an interesting running metaphor. The film gets most inspired when Malkovich enters his own portal and goes into a world where, there is just himself, this is wildly surreal and funny; and any movie that features a chimpanzee has got to having something go for it. Well I like Chimpanzee's, even the biggest pile of crud could be improved by having a chimp making a cameo.

Cusack is competent in the lead role as the greasy haired meekish Craig Schwartz , he's decent in this but I just find him more convincing in roles like Martin Blank in Grosse Pointe Blank. Cameron Diaz is a pleasant surprise as the mousy Lotte, even though I found the character a little irritating, but this helps to see why Craig's eyes were starting to wonder to other women. Diaz shows she can handle a role, where she has to play down the glam (she has really bad hair in this film) , it's roles like this that prove Diaz can be more than just a pretty face. Catherine Keener is convincing as the manipulative Maxine and Orson Bean alludes some senior charm as the strange old man who runs the office on the 7 1/2 floor where Craig works. Orson Bean's role is more important to the movie, than I'm letting on here, but to give away the importance of his role, would be somewhat giving away one of the films key plot twists. However star of the show is Malkovich himself, who has to be said is in inspired form, and I don't use the word inspired loosely here. What one has to remember is that he's not just playing himself, he's also playing a person who is not himself but is controlling himself...Malkovich's portrayal of this is nothing short of brilliant. Also look out for an amusing cameo from Charlie Sheen as himself. All in all this is an inspired, original idea for a movie that could have been executed better, but we still need movies like this, movies that dare to break the mould. (7)

Rating: - Best viewd on the 7 1/2th Floor

Truly made me think. I have no clue why I love this but also have no hesitation in telling anyone to buy it.

I came out of the cinema unable to verbalise what I had just seen and how brilliant I thought it was. Cameron Diaz fans will barely recognise her in this performance. I didn't know it was her till the credits. John Cusack turns in his usual five star performance as does John Malkovich.

Get it and enjoy it. Any film that makes you think so much can only be good.

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