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After the last 2 films that I decided to watch, I was happy to switch to an actually good film like this one. Though it was good, I have so many mixed feelings about it. I waited an extra day to review this because this was one of those that I felt needed some thinking over to determine how I felt about it. Being John Malkovich follows Craig Schwartz, a man with dreams of being a puppeteer who decides to try to get a regular office job before discovering an ability like no other that will change his and others' lives. This film was so quirky and bizarre with its humor and plot elements, yet I was pulled in by it for a majority of the time, and kept wondering what would happen next. The environment created felt so absurd, yet so easy to buy into with the nuance of all the characters. I had no problem whatsoever throughout suspending my disbelief to immerse myself inside this crazy world created here. I keep going back and forth on being both weirded out, but also thrilled by the ride this film took me on. I should have figured this film would be out of the ordinary with Charlie Kaufman writing this. Through all of the absurdity, there are some takeaways you can pull from this, like how life doesn't always work out the way you hope it to, and that some things just aren't meant to be. There's also the theme of death, and whether or not it should be accepted as something we all face. What I also admired though was the detailed characters that we see here. Craig is someone who is ultimately selfish and will do anything to achieve what he wants. Maxine, perhaps the most interesting, seems to take everything with a grain of salt, going with whatever is thrown at her without remorse, only caring about what she desires in the end. Lotte seems like the most normal, nonetheless someone caught in a bad position between the other two characters, who has to stand her ground with how she feels. Along with these unique characters that all have great acting, the world that was created with all of this film's events has made it one that will stay with me for a while, for both good and bad reasons.
Rating 8.1/10
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Introduction
I experienced this film for the first time last week and OMG, Being John Malkovich is one heck of a crazy ride. This is probably the weirdest film I have ever seen! I mean, how does one person come up with such an extravagant idea for a film, and then execute it so well into the script. Also, the performances were insane and the directing was brilliant. Lots of people wouldn't/don't like this film because of how different it is to any other film and how weird and complex the story is, but personally, I loved it. I don't think you can put Being John Malkovich into a genre. It sort of creates its own genre. Anyway, let's move onto the acting
Acting & Characters
The whole cast was brilliant. The four main performances were the ones that stood out to me. Let's start with John Cusack. Cusack played Craig Schwartz so well. Schwartz is such a crazy character who is madly in love and is willing to do anything to get the girl he loves to love him back (literally ANYTHING), and John Cusack portrays this perfectly. You can see in his expressions and his eyes that he is slowly becoming crazier throughout the film. Cameron Diaz was also great. Diaz's performance really made me change my mind about her. She has done some really questionable movies after Being John Malkovich but her performance as Lotte was unbelievable. She transformed herself into this character and I actually didn't realise that it was Cameron Diaz until my Dad told me. This is definitely her best performance (in my opinion).
More Acting & Characters
Catherine Keener was also great in the film. Her performance as Maxine was excellent. She portrayed all of Maxine's emotions and characteristics perfectly! Maxine is such a crazy character who is very selfish and only thinks about what she wants. Her objectives are so extravagant and she changes her mind very often. Catherine brings all of this into the character perfectly and gives a great performance. Now, onto my favourite performance, John Malkovich. John Malkovich had to change his voice (slightly), his walk, his actions, and his intentions throughout the film. He transformed himself into different characters constantly and I found this really impressive. John Malkovich is an excellent actor and this is my favourite performance of his (so far).
Directing
This is my first Spike Jonze film and I can't wait to watch more of his work. Spike makes you feel like you are there with the characters and even makes you see what the characters see. Some of my favourite shots are the ones where you get to see through the eyes of John Malkovich and see what other people are experiencing. It makes it more true to the story and it let's you comprehend what is going on even better. Probably the most famous scene in Being John Malkovich is the scene where you find out what happens when a man goes into his own portal. I was actually wondering this from almost the start of the film and that scene is beautifully written and directed. Spike makes this scene seamless and I simply love it. I also loved the grey, black, and turquoise colour palette. It really ties in the tone of the film.
Screenplay & Layers
Being John Malkovich has one of the best and most extravagant screenplays of all time. Although it didn't win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay (American Beauty won, which was well deserved), Charlie Kaufman created a masterpiece of writing. I seriously couldn't imagine coming up with such a crazy film idea and bringing the idea to life. It baffles me. Charlie Kaufman wrote an extremely complex script with many layers. There are layers of fantasy (being someone else), layers of twisted love (Maxine loves Lotte but only as Malkovich), there are layers of finding yourself (Schwartz tries to find himself in Malkovich and Lotte figures out if she is transgender or lesbian), and there are layers of obsession (Dr. Lester and many others are obsessed with living forever and go through any means necessary to live forever).
Conclusion
This is a complicated and complex film that leaves you thinking about it weeks after watching it. Being John Malkovich has a brilliant script, phenomenal acting and great directing. Overall, I loved this film and I'm sure that you would love it to if you haven't already watched it. Anyway, that's today's review. I hope you enjoyed. If so, drop a comment with your thoughts on this fantastic film and my review. Edit: I forgot to include these two things but I just wanted to mention them. I loved how Schwartz is a puppeteer and takes control of Malkovich and sort of toys/plays with him. It's really interesting to watch how he takes over a human instead of a puppet. I also loved the ending. It is so perfect.
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