Being John Malkovich (1999)
John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, Orson Bean, Mary Kay Place, John Malkovich, Charlie Sheen. Music by Carter Burwell. Cinematography by Lance Acord. Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Directed by Spike Jonze. 112 minutes.
Rated R, 4 stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo-online.com Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?Edward+Johnson-Ott
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Three things I learned from "Being John Malkovich": when getting on the elevator for your first day of work on the 7 1/2th floor of a building, always bring your crowbar; don't stand in the way of your wife's actualization as a man; and, whenever entering a portal into the mind of another human being, wear old clothes, because, hey, it's muddy in there.
"Being John Malkovich" is the most original film to come down the pike in a very long time. Wildly surrealistic, yet presented in a down-to-earth, funky style, this is the kind of movie that sticks in your head. After savoring the sheer inventiveness of the storyline, you roll around the wealth of ideas contained within it. From the ethics of relationships and politics of immortality to the very nature of identity itself, there's a lot to think about here.
Just don't forget to have fun. Clearly, all parties involved in the making of the film certainly did, starting with writer Charles Kaufman. "I wrote 'Being John Malkovich' without an outline," he explains in the press notes, "blindly, with no sense of direction or purpose. It's important to me that I don't have a map before I start. This allows me to surprise myself, stay engaged, discover things, and, hopefully, allow the unconscious to surface."
Spike Jonze (Mark Wahlberg's naïve buddy in "Three Kings") takes it from there. The white-hot director of the Beastie Boy's "Sabotage," an award-winning parody of '70s TV cop shows, as well as numerous other music videos and commercials, eschews typical MTV flash for his feature film debut. Jonze wisely realized that a storyline this unusual is most effectively presented in a low-key style. His flat, matter-of-fact approach works perfectly.
And then there's the cast. John Cusack plays control freak Craig Schwartz, a street performer who periodically gets decked by parents objecting to his remarkably expressive, but decidedly erotic puppet shows. Over the years, his marriage to obsessive pet store employee Lotte (Cameron Diaz) has devolved. Once passionate lovers, the two are now little more than courteous roommates.
Financially strapped, Craig takes a job as an entry-level file clerk at LesterCorp, located on the 7 1/2th floor of a Manhattan Building. Navigating around Dr. Lester (Orson Bean), his 105 year-old boss and Floris (Mary Kay Place), Lester's dotty secretary, Craig tries to settle into his new position, but two things keep him distracted. First, there's the beautiful and imperious Maxine (Catherine Keener), who delights in tormenting Craig over his obvious lust for her. And then there's the hole behind the file cabinet, which turns out to be a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich. Craig learns that anyone who enters the portal gets whooshed into the subconscious of Malkovich, where they can experience life from his point of view (with enough concentration, you can even influence his actions). After 15 minutes, the visitor gets ejected and unceremoniously dumped in a ditch on the side of the New Jersey turnpike.
Then things get a little weird.
By the way, if you're concerned that I gave away too much of the plot, rest assured - - I barely scratched the surface. One of the most satisfying aspects of the fable is that Kaufman is not content to simply milk laughs from his bizarre set-up. Instead, he crawls into the dark premise as completely as Craig crawls into Malkovich, rummaging around and toying with the various philosophical implications of compromising another person's identity. He also examines the consequences of the Malko-visits to Craig, Lotte, Maxine and, of course, John Malkovich himself.
The performances are superb. Malkovich (best known to mainstream audiences for his work in "Dangerous Liaisons," "In the Line of Fire," and as head psychopath in the guilty-pleasure "Con Air") tweaks his own image in a dandy self-deprecating turn. Far from his effete, vaguely reptilian persona, this Malkovich is just another schlub, drinking with his pals and trying to get laid (incidentally, Charlie Sheen also plays himself in a hilarious parody of his well-earned bad boy reputation).
As always, John Cusack nails his part, handily pulling viewers along even as Craig's actions become unconscionable. The big surprises come from Catherine Keener and Cameron Diaz, both playing against type. Kenner, usually cast in icy subordinate roles, is terrific as a highly intelligent, extremely manipulative femme fatale. Cameron Diaz, barely recognizable under a mess of brown, curly hair, sheds her perpetually sunny smile and draws big laughs as a woman thrown into extreme sexual confusion after taking a ride in Malkovich.
"Being John Malkovich" stumbles towards the end, as Jonze and Kaufman try too hard to resolve the various subplots. Additional characters and increasingly complex explanations lead to a cluttered finale. Regardless, this contemporary "Alice in Wonderland" is a real treat. I enjoyed watching "Being John Malkovich," but only later, after reflecting on the film, did its resonance fully hit me. At one point, Craig says, "Do you know what a metaphysical can of worms this portal is?" Truer words were never spoken.
© 1999 Ed Johnson-Ott
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