Rating: 
Summary: Perhaps the most interesting and polysemic film of our time.
Review: Spike Jonze, a genius in his own right, was never viewed by me as somebody that could create the most outstanding piece of filmmaking from last decade. But i was wrong. After the messiness of Fatboy Slim's Praise you clip and the utter maddness of Beastie Boy's sabotage video, it is hard to see how such a zany filmmaker like Jonze (who is still in his early 30's and has no previous film education) can develop a twisted black movie such as Malcovich. The story is nothing: prodigy pupeteer Cusak is nagged into getting a job by his wife Diaz, who seems to be living in her own world of animals. After taking the job on the 7th and a half floor (the explanation is side splitting)and being introduced to an eccentric boss, Cusak discovers a doorway which leads him straight into the head of actor Malcovich, thus allowing him to "see" the world through his eyes. Of course, Malcovich soon becomes a product (thanks to the help of outgoing maneater Kenier, and everybody wants a part in Malcovich's life. Soon enough, the melodramatic actor becomes increasingly parinoid and, before he can say "dangerous liasions", is possesed by a bunch of strangers. Jonze's direction is stunning, with possibly the best performance by Malcovich himself (at the end you kind of feel sorry for him). But it's Kauffman's script that keeps the pace, following through like a childs fable or a dream you wish you had remembered. The film becomes bitterly poignant in places and the scene where Malcovich tries his own portal is outstanding. With a film this good, it makes you wonder why other people bother.
Rating:
Summary: How many times have you wished you were somebody else?
Review: Talk to people about this movie and they will tell you that it is weird, and others that it is brilliant. Every time this happens, I know I HAVE to see a movie. In this case, I sided with those who thought it was brilliant. At times, during the beginning I thought I was in front of a version of the exceptional movie "Brazil," but I was proved wrong. In fact, I'd dare to say that this movie is just as good (if not better than Brazil). A production has to be brilliant in order to allow you to laugh through some of the delicate topics this movie addresses. Some of the brilliant points of the movie: the 7 1/2 floor (yes, seven-and-a-half!); the tunnel leading into JM's head; making Cameron Diaz look so odd; John Cusack evolving throughout the movie from an innocent and hermit puppeteer into an animal obsessed with obtaining what somebody else has... It touches original terrain, unlike any other movie I've seen in a long time. Guaranteed to make you think while having a GREAT laugh! (weird ain't it?) ;)
Rating: 
Summary: Only in the modern era could this film be so overrated
Review: First, a note of explanation on the title to this review: it is my impression that we live in something of a dark age of filmmaking, in which the merely mediocre is exalted as "original" and "compelling." That is not to say that "Being John Malkovich" is simply mediocre, but rather that it isn't nearly as "great" as the critics' cavalcade (or most of the reviews on this site) might lead you to believe. It is nevertheless worthwhile. To begin, the central gimmick is that a small, hidden doorway on the 7 1/2th floor of a New York City highrise leads to a portal to the brain, or the consciousness, of John Malkovich, and that after fifteen minutes (or more, for one possessing the John Cusack character's puppeteering skills) spits the subject out somewhere on the side of the New Jersey turnpike. The geography is meaningless (and I have to ask, just how does Cusack's character manage to make it from NYC to the NJ Turnpike in under 15 minutes when he needs to pick somebody up?), but it shouldn't be hard to see the possibilities inherent in the concept--they are, after all, touted in the ad copy for the film and in most of the glowing reviews ("screwball comedy, a meditation on the nature of existence, of the soul" blah blah blah). Few of those possibilities are realized. Rather than a heady stew on the nature of existence, the eventual explanation for the portal is more like a thin gruel of possession and transference in a quest for immortality. To be fair, the questions are posed by some of the characters, but they are never really addressed by the film itself, except in a fashion as superficial as the characters themselves. As for these characters, with the exception of Malkovich himself (and there mostly by way of pathos) there is no one deserving of sympathy or empathy. The movie succeeds best as a very black sort of comedy--if you enjoy the spectacle of uniformly reprehensible characters enacting a series of escapades winding down to an ending with no sense of justice, of anyone getting their due (and I often do), you might enjoy this film. One final postscript: some sort of award should be due John Malkovich, who--regardless of the truth or falsity of the aspects of his life "revealed" in this film--exposes himself to an enormous potential for ridicule here. More minor kudos to Cameron Diaz, who--in what passes for courage among Hollywood A-list actors and actresses--is difficult to recognize as something other than the blonde smile on sticks she's been in her other films. Final kudos to whoever came up with the idea of high-concept puppetry as a public-TV-pledge-week fad in the same vein as "Riverdance," which was hilarious.
Rating:
Summary: No smoking in the auditorium, please.
Review: A portal is discovered on the 7/12 floor of a New York skyscraper that leads straight into the mind of John Malkovich. Aren't you even a little bit intrigued? It's the most shockingly odd film Hollywood has ever produced, and yet through all the crazed dementia, finds the human angle, and what emerges is not so much a series of crazy, nonsensical psychedelia, but a harrowingly human tale. Better yet, Cameron Diaz plays her most complex, multi-dimensional (literally) character yet, while John Cusack is, as expected, marvellous, and John Malkovich is funny simply because he turned up to make this film. Spike Jonze (previously renowned for interminably daft Weezer and Beastie Boys videos) is revealed as a wonderfully sensitive, intelligent (although extremely abstract) director, who carves out each character's emotional makeup like a skilled craftsman, but it's the plot that's the star here, and even if you find the whole proceedings patently ludicrous, you're still gripped. "Being John Malkovich" does exactly what a great movie should do, it takes its audience out of reality, and onto a marvellous journey of the head and the heart. Films can't come more highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Brilliant and Inventive Film I Have Ever Seen
Review: Being John Malkovich is a masterpiece. Not only is it the definite best movie I have ever watched over and over, but it is also just a twisted piece of film. Spike Jonze was already my favorite music video director, and now he is my favorite director, period. He is inventive, strange, scary, and he makes you think. Malkovich tells a very twisted story. It's about a puppeteer (John Cusack) who can never get payed because people don't understand his shows. His pet freak wife (Cameron Diaz) lives with him and supports him. He begins looking for work elsewhere eventually. He looks in the newspaper and finds a filing job on the 7 1/2th floor of a skyscraper downtown. There he meets his beautiful office-mate (Catherine Keener) and his adventures begin. He finds a secret door leading to a tunnel into John Malkovich's (John Malkovich) brain and devises a plan to sell tickets to visit his world. Although there are various sub plots and sub meanings, the basic point of this film is the fact that we are afraid to be ourselves so we will do anything we can to be someone else. It's about moving on with life and falling down when it falls down. The DVD is great, the film is amazing, and it is a must see for everyone into odd films. Spike Jonze is a genius.
Rating:
Summary: A refreshingly original movie.
Review: After reading a few reviews of this movie it is clear that it is a movie that you either love or hate. Personally, I love it. It is easily the best movie of 1999, and fully deserved its three Oscar nominations. John Cusack is well cast as a struggling puppeteer whose life takes a strange turn when he discovers a hidden door in his office. Catherine Keener and Cameron Diaz also put in fine performances. John Malkovich has a tough role to play but pulls it off with conviction. If you are expecting a laugh-a-minute comedy then this movie probably isn't for you. Although it has it's funny moments, these are subtly played - like Cusack applying for a filing job on the seven and a halfth floor, which has rather low ceilings (low overheads you see, so the savings can be passed onto the customer...). The overall premise is pure fantasy and requires suspension of disbelief but if you are prepared to go along with it, this movie is well worth seeing. It is very thought-provoking. Finding a category for this movie would be a tough job, but the best I can come up with is 'bizarre existentialist philosophical comedy' (but don't let that put you off...). The DVD itself is very good. Excellent picture and sound, and some extras although these are of questionable quality. The 'interview' with director Spike Jonze is quite frankly baffling. It takes place in a moving car and he ends up getting out and vomiting. Whatever. So, I wholeheartedly recommend this. It easily slots into my top 10 movies. One of the most original movies I have ever seen.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely original and fun
Review: Being John Malkovich is easily one of the most original films ever made. It's plot is twisted and difficult to explain; a financially failing puppeteer, Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), works on the 7 ½ (!) floor of a building filing papers and discovers a portal to the actor John Malkovich's brain. His sexy, tempestuous co-worker played by Catherine Keener is along for the ride, and his wife (Cameron Diaz) is involved with both. Then there is Schwartz's boss (Orson Bean) who also has a special interest in Malkovich. The idea behind this film is brilliant, but the most fun of all comes from watching Malkovich himself endure this bizarre situation. The cast and the special effects are the two best features of this film, and Malkovich should win some type of award for being such a good sport. Unfortunately, the story sputters a little near the end, but for its originality and bizarreness , this is definitely worth seeing. Spike Jonze has made his directing debut that will be remembered for a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the Best!
Review: "Being John Malkovich" is an amazing story of sexuality, love, betrayal, and the one thing that many people say to themselves... "i wanna be someone else". I thought this film was well written out because all these different emotions got tangled up in the 4 lives of Maxine, Craig, Lotte and John, creating an amazing story starting off with the 7 and half floor and little door that lead into a big change in not just Craigs life, but many others. Be sure to listen to everything said 'cause jokes a easily missed and you might not understand the situation at the very end of the film. It would be a big mistake to miss this film as it makes you think a lot about yourself. And if your into creative writing it wouuld be perfect as it gives you many of YOUR OWN ideas.
Rating:
Summary: A jouney into a man's mind....
Review: ... No! Not John Malkovich. And, I suppose, not just a man's mind. More the mind of 2 men. Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze. Now, to me, 1999 was one of those great years in cinema. It was just marvellous. Most years you wouldn't argue with American Beauty winning everything (not that that REALLY matters). But in 1999. NO! NO DAMN WAY! So, it should have been Malkovich then? Well, no. Over American Beauty, yeah! But sadly Spike Jonze couldn't quite give us the best film of the year. But he was so close. Explaining the plot of Malkovich would be pointless, but I think that describing the plot of any mvie is stupid. You're supposed to watch the damn thing to find out what's happening. But, any rate. Woah! If you've seen a film like this before you're luckier than me, coz I never had. What, basically, you have here is fine performances by Cusack, Diaz and Malkovich. A great one from Keener. We're introduced to the minds of Jonze and Kaufman (2 minds I for one want to see more of). And, um.... Just stop reading this review now. This and all other reviews. Just buy this movie. Unless, of course, you're one of those people that doesn't like "wierd" films. In which case, avoid (solely because you'll never understand the beauty that you see)
Rating:
Summary: Ok but weird............
Review: Well, this was ok, well very weird well, the actors did very well this was good, but alittle weird...
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