Customer Reviews

Being John Malkovich (Widescreen)

5 star:		(233)
4 star:		(87)
3 star:		(47)
2 star:		(40)
1 star:		(46)

 

 

Le disque et la pochette sont très bien, sauf qu'il manque un disque à l'intérieur... c'est un SPECIAL EDITION, et ce disque manque.

Charlie Kaufman has the distinction of writing the two most deranged screenplays I know of with "Adaptation" and it's predecessor, "Being John Malkovich". Here it became clear that a mind of unsurpassed creativeness had been loosed among the movie-making crowd.

Four fantastic performances are given by John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener and Malkovich himself, and they are guided by Spike Jonze' direction and Mr. Kaufman's screenplay.

Cusack is a gifted, tortured, starving artist, and not just any artist, but a puppeteer - working with marionettes. The film opens with a marionette performance so poignant it seems neary human - the performance reminds me of the opening of "White Nights" in which Baryshnikov dances "Le Jeune Homme Et La Mort". In White Nights it takes a moment before you recognize that you are watching a performance of a ballet, and in this film the marionette is so life-like it doesn't require much suspension of disbelief to think the puppet alive. In another similarity between the two films later on a human-sized marionette is made to "dance" the lead role in "Swan Lake" surrounded by human ballerinas. The rest of this film is SO startlingly original that it's easy to overlook the fact that the movie has some REALLY skilled puppeteering in it.

But I digress. Puppeteering doesn't pay Cusack well, so there are money arguments between John and wife Cameron Diaz, who looks like a cross between a street person and a washer-woman here. She works in a pet store and keeps a collection of animals including a dog, ferret, bird and chimpanzee - all apparently with some form of veterinary post-traumatic stress disorder. Diaz' Lotte is the kind of person who forms close emotional ties with animals but has more difficulty being intimate with other humans.

Desperate for a paying job, Cusack thinks his nimble puppeteering fingers make him ideal for a company that specializes in filing, so he gets a job in an old New York building on the 7 1/2th floor - the kind of quirky little thing added in just for "flavor" in this film.

At his new job Cusack discovers Maxine - an attractive but sarcastic New York woman who has had it with most men, and Cusack's Craig Schwartz certainly seems like most men to her.

Craig also discovers something he wasn't expecting behind a filing cabinet: a portal that leads to 15 minutes inside the head of John Malkovich before dumping you on the side of a New Jersey highway.

If it seems like I've given away the whole story - I haven't. These are all plot setups that lead to the development of a narrative that doesn't just have a "twist". THIS story "twists" every five minutes.

On my second viewing of the movie my greatest regard is for John Malkovich himself, who not only allows himself to be spoofed, but participates in the spoofing with great gusto. On the first trip "into Malkovich" we track him as he's getting ready to go out. He goes down to the street where a cab is hailed for him. The driver looks back and instantly recognizes him.

"Hey.... you're that actor, aren't you?"
"Yes", Malkovich replies.
"I loved you in that movie where you played the jewel thief".
"I never played a jewel thief". (Although a few years later John Malkovich actually does play a jewel thief in Johnny English.)

A few other times other characters bring up his performance in the jewel thief movie - a great running gag demonstrating how easy human nature makes it to spread urban legends and other incorrect information.

John Malkovich has been in a large number of my very favorite films: The Killing Fields, Dangerous Liaisons, Places in the Heart, Shadow of the Vampire, In the Line of Fire and Of Mice and Men. (Fans of "Sex and the City" will enjoy the moment when Willie Garson walks by Malkovich in a restaurant and compliments him on his performance in the movie where he played "that retard".) Now one of my favorite John Malkovich movies is the one that bears his name.

This movie is different from any other movie ever made. It is a fun trip that raises many thoughtful questions. WARNING: DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE IF YOU SUFFER FROM PARANOID DELUSIONS OR SUBSCRIBE TO MATRIX-TYPE CONSPIRACY THEORIES. It will send you over the edge. The basic story is that down-on-his-luck wanna be puppeteer John Cusack reluctantly gets a day job at the gentle urging of his frumpy wife (yes they make her a frump) Cameron Diaz. This day job changes both their lives as Cusack discovers a portal that leads to John Malkovich's head. Nothing and no one is what they seem, and it is very hard to see who is controlling who, even at the very end.

I can't imagine John Malkovich's face when he was approached with this screenplay. I can't believe anyone in his right mind wouldn't run the other way when presented with even the most basic premise for this film. But then again, at least in the movie, Malkovich is anything but in his right mind. Heck, for most of the film, he isn't even IN his mind. Creepy, huh? Creepy doesn't even begin to cover it. But I highly recommend it. Just be warned not to drive or operate heavy machinery after seeing it.

This movie is best watched late at night. Most of the scenes are in fact shot at nighttime, adding positively to the surreal effect of the story. Cusack, Diaz, and Malkovich turn in wonderful performances. Catherine Keener is suitably hateable as the selfish Maxine.

This movie encourages you to look deep beneath the surface of a person. It is also good for some serious out-loud laughs.

Warning:before watching this film you should realize that this could be one of the weirdest, craziest film of all time. It kept me scratching my head.

Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is a puppeteer who is struggling for stardom in fame. In order to put food on the table, Craig decides to get a job. He finds himself as filing clerk. He then discovers a portal to the mind of John Malkovich. The portal allows you to be John Malkavich for 15. Your John Malkovich for fifteen minutes and then dumped in the turnpike of New Jersey. Then he falls in love with his co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener)Craig, Maxine, and Craigs current wife Lotte (Cameron Diaz) charge $200 to let people be John Malkavich. But then as Lotte continues to go to the portal and then falls in love with Maxine, as Lotte continues going to the portal and being John Malkavich. It is then a war between Craig and Lotte of who's getting Maxine. It is a crazed script.

Personally out of this film I was just stunned. Watching this film once isn't really enough. It can be kind of disturbing in ways. Personally I thought the movie was a great success. But that's me, other people think it is a stupid film out of the story. But it is not, you will like it. Really before watching this I didn't even know who John Malkovich was, and still technically don't. And its weird to see someone play themselves. Since in this page they don't show what are the special features. So here they are.

·Trailer and tv spots
·Interview with director spike jonze
·Cast and crew
·Spikes photo album
·Art on the puppeteering
·Seven and a half floor orientation
Over all I think the films great. Just remember its weird. A must see though.

I purchased this film with high hopes, being an aficionado of off-kilter movies. And with a plot like Being John Malkovich's, how could I go wrong? A downtrodden puppeteer, working on floor seven and half of an office building, discovers a portal into the mind of John Malkovich. Even with such an intriguing premise, though, I felt this movie struck out (I am in the minority in feeling this).

Let me first say that all of the primary actors performed brilliantly. Cusack played both the melancholy and crazy sides of Craig the puppeteer quite well, and Diaz really shone as his quirky wife. One of the best performances was by Malkovich himself, lampooning himself quite handily and playing the different "inhabitants" of his body as adroitly as he played his own self.

However, even these brilliant performances don't save the movie. Fantasy is a difficult genre to conduct successfully, contrary to popular belief. One of the unwritten rules of fantasy is that, no matter how fantastical the story, it needs to be internally consistent. The film fails miserably in this aspect. Sometimes only a single person can inhabit Malkovich, sometimes multiple people. Far-fetched explanations about the subconscious and the "power of the puppeteer" attempt to account for this discrepancy but ultimately prove insufficient, if you follow them through to their logical conclusions. The writer also throws in several random occurrences with no apparent connection to the idea of the portal. Why, for instance, does Malkovich end up in a world full of people who look like him when he goes through the portal? Is this some play on his ego? On the nature of how we see the world? I really don't know, and I don't think these inconsistencies were meant to be "things to make you go hmm," as in other films.

And I suppose that's really what really bothered about Being John Makovich. The idea is a fascinating one, brilliant even, with so much potential. But that potential is squandered for cheap laughs: a lesbian affair through Malkovich's body, chimpanzee childhood traumas, lecherous old men, etc. Instead of harnessing the inherent ironic humor in the idea and making this a thought-provoking movie, the writers used the idea to string together several cheesy laughs characteristic of other Hollywood comedies.

As it is, I give Malkovich a star for good acting and another star for a nice idea. For a real five-star, absurd, ironic, and absolutely fascinating comedy, I recommend Fight Club.

'Being John Malkovich' is a really weird, but good film. Towards the end it gets kind of sad though.

This movie is a perfect example of how you shouldn't take drugs before writing scripts. The first part was amusing but bizarre; the second half ruined the first half by introducing sexual perversion. If you are going to take drugs and write scripts, please use the SAME drug and don't mix them randomly.

This could have been a great movie, and there are some good spots, but essentially it's a waste of time. Get something better, like Amazon Women from Mars.

I SEEN THIS AMAZING FILM IN A MULTIPLEX AND WENT HUH???I TAPE IT OFF OF TV WEEN IT WAS ON HBO.I GET IT.THE GUY THAT WROTE THIS,CHARLIE KAUFFMAN IS A GENIUS.THIS IS A GREAT COMEDY AND EVERY TIME I WATCH IT.I SOMETHING TO CHUCKLE AT.SEE THIS FILM SEVERAL TIMES.IT'S A RICH TAPESTRY OF COMIC WRITING.SPIKE JONZE HAS DONE A FINE JOB IN 1ST FILM AFTER MANY INVENTIVE MUSIC VIDEOS.ALL THE ACTORS ARE GREAT.MY FAVORITES ARE ORSON BEAN,CATHERINE KEENER,CAMERON DIAZ AND THE ONE AND ONLY MR. MALKIVICH.THE SCENE WHERE HE GOES INTO HIS OWN PORTAL IS CLASSIC.I DON'T KNOW WHY SOME POSTERS HERE GIVE THIS FILM LESS THAN 5 STARS.A FILM LIKE 2001 OR BRAZIL IS TOO DEEP FOR THE COMMON MOVIE LOVER.THIS IS A GREAT FILM.IT HAS MOVIE SCRIPT LIKE CITIZEN KANE MOST SCRIPT WRITERS WOULD KILL TO MAKE!IT MAKES THE OVERRATED 'FIGHT CLUB'THE SHALLOW BRAIN DEAD TRASH IT REALLY IS.A REAL MAN COULD SEE THRU THAT BUNK.

Spike Jonze's "Being John Malkovich" dares to challenge anything that can be remotely labeled as conventional logic and emerges triumphant in its undertaking. Those viewers who have been conditioned to accept only standard narrative fare will find their minds joyfully liberated upon seeing this film. Sometimes experimentation in cinema does indeed work.

Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is a puppeteer who creates unappealing puppets that turn off the public. His career as a puppeteer is going nowhere so he seeks other employment and soon finds himself working in an office building that has a floor lodged between the seventh and eight floors. Craig then becomes smitten with co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener), but even more attention-grabbing is a doorway he finds behind a file cabinet that leads into the brain of John Malkovich (John Malkovich playing himself). Craig uses the doorway for his own selfish pursuits but eventually his wife, Lotte (Cameron Diaz), Maxine, and Malkovich himself learn of his exploits. A metaphysical battle like you have never seen before then ensues in which the fate of John Malkovich's sanity hangs in the balance.

"Being John Malkovich" defies description. This is a film that people just have to see for themselves. A second-hand account of it will not do justice to its eccentric and creative nature. Simply put, "Being John Malkovich" could easily have become a freak-film if it was made by a less-able director, but Jonze manages to keep the entire production afloat from start to finish. Credit must also be given to Cusack, Diaz, Keener, and Malkovich who are all great in their roles. Each of them ably captures the peculiar tone that the premise of the film demands of them. Malkovich is particularly hilarious in a sequence where he discusses his new career as a puppeteer. Now, it must be said that "Being John Malkovich" is not for everyone. One must have a somewhat skewed outlook on the world to appreciate the ideas put forth in this film. If you're willing to check all rational thought at the door and keep an open mind then you will be rewarded with a fascinating and unique viewing experience. One thing is for sure - after watching "Being John Malkovich," you'll never look at a small door behind a file cabinet the same way again.

Not good at all

I was expecting "Being John Malkovich" to be a sort of trippy ride like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" but I must say that I much prefer the later in terms of screen madness and insanity. BJM does stall a lot of the time and there are many dull moments in-between the bouts of lunacy. I certainly prefer the director's latest work "Adaptation" to this vehicle.

This film revolves around a puppeteer who manages to find a portal through a door in an office into John Malkovich's head. What a great premise! This boasts of originality through and through. Sounds just like what we need. I was really looking forward to this one. I like little cult items that do things differently.

However this is really a very mixed bag. You can tell that a lot of people in this movie are here to help out a friend. Some actors take their role a way more seriously than others. There is a lot of diversity in the quality there. I guess the reason why people went to see this film was to see Hollywood go wacky. It does just that, but is a tad bit embarrassingly executed as if you are watching the actors pour out their hearts on the Jerry Springer show. That is certainly not my kettle of fish. Maybe you will like this and I am sure that there are many people who simply adore this film but that was strike one for me. I do not like that sort of thing because it makes me feel uncomfortable to be honest and I found it hard to enjoy anything after that. I have read other reviewers here who did not like the film because of this either.

Strike two for me was the fact that the film's premise is limited to this "nutty" concept. It does not go outside of it much and when it does it can get extremely boring. The relationships in this movie are not fleshed out. When the divergence in acting quality meets up outside of its core theme the movie does falter into the realm of amateur film making. This can be forgiven for the director's newness but it is, frankly, boring.

The third Strike came in the form of a dud presentation. This is just NOT THAT WACKY. It does not get much crazy outside of the theme of going into Malkovich's head. A lot of it is simply executed in some way or another to look strange, but it just LOOKS strange and is not that cerebral at all. I expected this film to mess with your mind a bit more but it does not really do that. It just looks wacky but does not execute much intelligence along the way. Ultimately this is a bore.

However I will give it Charlie Sheen who saves this movie from one star purgatory. This vehicle is worth seeing for his performance alone. Overall this is "designer mainstream Hollywood wackiness" that can play to all audiences but is certainly devoid of making that extra leap of the consciousness that it pretends to expound on. This is no 2001 or Jacobs Ladder or Lost Highway. This is more akin to a dark version of a Police Squad movie. Not my idea of a wacky film, but a lot of people might like it and this review should not put you off trying it. I just did not like it at all and felt letdown by it all. It certainly does not live up to the hype for me for the reasons I have stated above. IMO, watch "Adaptation" instead.