[3.5/4.0]
The art of puppetry is commonly associated with children's entertainment. However, when taken to its heights, it is sublime and abstract, requiring the puppeteer to be both a dextrous manipulator and an expressive performer. While acting requires the actor to communicate mood and emotion through kinesthetic expression, puppetry demands the same expressiveness while adding the extra dimension of a separate body, one which is more difficult to control.
This curious film begins with Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), an out of work puppeteer, looking for gainful employment. He is a master of his art, but because he is unwilling to debase his talent for commercial success, he must find some type of menial work to help support himself and his pet-addicted wife, Lotte (Cameron Diaz). Craig happens to find a position where some of his talents give him an advantage. His dextrous fingers make him a superior file clerk, and he gets a job with a mysterious filing company.
>From its outset, it is clear that the film will be unusual and interesting. The opening scene of real puppetry is haunting and mesmerizing. Lotte's eclectic menagerie of exotic animals portends an odd, expressive story. It is not surprising that the director of this film, which has a strong foundation in vivid imagery, comes from a background of directing music videos. Although that medium is usually characterized by insipid depictions of musicians and singers unconvincingly pretending to be actually performing, a handful of directors are able to inject real creativity into their craft, and Spike Jonez is widely recognized as one of them. Among his works are the Beastie Boys' Paranoid and Weezer's Buddy Holly. Jonez capably translates his talents to the big screen with this film and produces a work of stunning originality.
The emergence of more narrative developments fully launch the film to its "cruising altitude". First, Craig becomes smitten with a sexy, sassy coworker, Maxine (Catherine Keener), who is a stark contrast to the dowdy Lotte, and proceeds to pursue her. The second, and more momentous, development is that Craig accidentally discovers a tunnel in his office that leads to an alternate reality. It seems that whoever enters the tunnel becomes temporarily transported within the mind of contemporary actor John Malkovich (John Malkovich). The participant experiences all of Malkovich's sensations for a short time before being abruptly dumped beside a New Jersey highway.
The most interesting aspect of the story is that the audience shares in the experience of "being John Malkovich". That is, the role played by the actor is that of the actor himself, therefore instead of seeing the character on screen as a fictitious person (which he surely is), the impression created is that the John Malkovich of the film is the real John Malkovich, thus the viewers have the feeling that they are peering into the everyday existence of the actor, John Malkovich.
The film is not flawless, as some inconsistencies are conveniently ignored. However, this is dwarfed by all the other rewarding aspects of the film. The film aspires to tell a story that is many dimensions deeper than a typical movie, and it is highly effective in doing so.
Highly recommended. This is a film of exceptional imagination and quirky curiosity. The surreal story is engagingly developed and its many complexities are interwoven with deft craftsmanship. Director Spike Jonez scores a breakthrough in his first feature film by composing a clear vision for this complex and highly entertaining effort. Viewers who desire a familiar, formulaic effort may find the film difficult to digest, but anyone who appreciates originality and creativity will enjoy this film.
(c) 2000 Murali Krishnan The Art House Squatter http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
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