Being John Malkovich (1999) 4 stars out of 4. Starring John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener and John Malkovich. Written by Charlie Kaufman. Directed by Spike Jonze
If you want a different type of movie experience, than "Being John Malkovich" is it.
A true original, "Being John Malkovich" is a surreal journey. If you wish the vicarious adventure of knowing what it's like to walk in another person's shoes, than this is your ticket.
What makes "Being John Malkovich" so appealing is its primal familiarity. It taps into a universal fantasy: How would it be to live the life of a celebrity for day? An hour? Or even 15 minutes?
It's a dream we all share. And Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) surely qualifies as a dreamer.
Craig is a puppeteer who creates elaborate, cerebral shows using his puppets who - coincidentally look like him and his wife, Lotte (an almost unrecognizable Cameron Diaz).
Lotte, who works at a pet store and tends injured and sick animals in her and Craig's basement apartment, convinces Craig to look for a job since he is not earning much of a living as a puppeteer.
Because he has fast hands, Craig gets a job as a file clerk at LesterCorp, located on 7 1/2th floor of Manhattan's Mertin-Flemmer office building.
It also is where he meets Maxine (Catherine Keener), a free-spirited young woman who becomes Craig's obsession. However, he's just another loser to her.
One day, trying to retrieve a file that falls behind a cabinet, Craig uncovers a small passageway. He climbs in and gets sucked through a tunnel. Next thing he knows he is seeing through the eyes of John Malkovich.
To tell any more would ruin the absolute surprise and wonder of this most unusual, bizarre and unique feature.
Suffice it to say that Craig and Maxine join forces and charge a $200 fee for allowing people to traverse the portal and enter the mind of Malkovich. The trip is fleeting, lasting only 15 minutes before the traveler is dumped along the New Jersey Turnpike. I told you this is a weird movie.
Yet :Being John Malkovich" is so disarming, so much fun that you sit in the dark and wish you were the one on screen taking the plunge.
The script for "Being John Malkovich" was written by Charlie Kaufman. It is his debut feature, and a more auspicious beginning I cannot imagine. Kaufman's name will be among those listed for original screenplay come Oscar roll call, and I wouldn't be surprised if he walks away with the statue.
Cusack, as usual, gives a brilliant performance as a man who likes the pull the strings - literally. With his discovery, he becomes the ultimate puppet master, using Malkovich to serve his own selfish ends.
Diaz is at first a bit drap and unkempt as Lotte, but as her fascination with Malkovich builds, her looks and demeanor seem to improve. It's a nice comic turn.
Keener nearly steals the film as the amoral Maxine who - at first - only sees profit in the Malkovich venture. She deserves a supporting actress Academy Award nomination.
And then there is John Malkovich. What a sport. What a performance. To allow himself to be used - and abused - as he does shows not only what a trouper he is, but what a selfless and generous talent he possesses. Clearly, Malkovich knows who he is and is comfortable in his own skin. He must also own one hell of a sense of humor.
Kaufman and director Spike Jonze (Mark Wahlberg's ill-fated GI comrade in "Three Kings"), making his feature film debut, have created some very surreal moments, especially one in which Malkovich enters the portal to get inside his own head. It is hilarious, wild and a bit scary - almost something out of a Luis Bunuel movie. The film, despite its comic emphasis, has a tragic undertone that helps keep everything grounded in a straunge kind of reality.
"Being John Malkovich" is that rarity, a movie that stands apart. Nothing like it has been seen before, and I doubt they'll be many filmmakers trying to copy it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime, "Alice in Wonderland"-like look at obsession, self-discovery and love. Don't miss it.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at cbloom@iquest.net
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