Being John Malkovich

Rating:
Summary: Me, Myself and I . . .
Review: The saddest part of this movie was that it had so much potential. The first half was terrific: it appeared as if I was going to explore what it really meant to be "me." It was great watching Malcovich go into his own head and seeing only a world of "Malcovich, Malcovich, . . . ."

In the second half, it was almost as if the original story was changed so that it would appeal to the masses. It seemed to leave the idea of who we really are, and seemed to fall into a slapstick lesbian who-really-gives-a-rat's-a.. farce. Maybe this is what viewers want; maybe not.

This movie could have been up there with "A Clockwork Orange," even better than the overrated "Brazil." Too bad it wasn't.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: Another low-fat review by yours truly. A truly weird and amusing film, made better by the fact that the characters plausibly accept the completely weird world they occupy. A puppeteer finds a gateway into John Malkovich's head on the 7.5th floor of his office building? The film deserves an award just for the industrial-strength suspension of belief it achieves. Now, the gist: 1. Acting rocks, uniformly. Whoever did the pupeteering for J. Cusack deserves worldwide fame. Was it special effects or was it real puppets? I don't know, but I REALLY thought the puppets were something special, literally. As metaphor - they work. 2. Plot - whatever you think you know, you're probably right, but it does work, somehow. 3. Special effects / production design / cinematography - Works well. The 7.5th floor set is very amusing (I'm a cubicle-bound trog, so I'm biased). Most noteworthy - the "Malkovich in his own head" scene. I wake up in a cold sweat just thinking about it. Finally, the key issue - you can take a date or friend to see it. It is weird enough to be interesting, but not weird enough to put off the average multiplex-goer with a reasonable tolerance for something "different." Art-house lite, if you will. You can think about this film, or not, and enjoy it either way. In a nutshell - rent it first.

Rating:
Summary: Am I missing something
Review: This film was not funny at all ,it also really was just a bunch of sci-fi bs no real meaning.Also why John Malkovich what was Joe Piscopo on vacation?

Rating:
Summary: Very Creative Screenplay Eventually Succumbs to Over-reach
Review: BEING JOHN MALKOVICH * * 1/2 A tough one to rate. The screenplay is extremely creative but to me it tries to hard to cover too much ground, too many themes. As entertainment, the first half hour is the funniest stuff I've seen in a movie in a long time, but then the unpleasantness of the characters started getting to me and by the end I had to consider it an admirable misfire. John Cusack is excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Poor cohesiveness, worse Cinematography
Review: I watch too many movies... I've seen plenty of great ones and many more that are just bad. I'm not easy on them either, but I have studied film for long enough to judge with knowledge. I gave this movie two chances after seeing how so many loved it. I just wanted to confirm to myself that it really was horrible. Yes, it has an interesting premise - but they come a dime a dozen. The execution of the film was unordinarily poor. The lighting was so bad throughout... thinking back on the movie all I visually see is muted colors in dark, uninteresting surroundings. Is this an intended effect? I hope not - If so, it bears no strong relationship with the film for effect - and is just plain ugly. When there is enough lighting to see - it is boring... as are the camera angles. With the easy application of great computer effects available, why was such a obvious and annoying technique chosen for portraying vision through malkovitch? Most film students generate a higher standard of artistic filming - most television programs do too for that matter

The plot did not make up for the poor and uninteresting film making. One relationship twist was piled on top of the other just to keep the movie going. Suddenly someone becomes a transsexual - and another can't decide who she loves (diaz or cusak inside malkovitch, or malkovitch himself), or why (the money and prestige, did she actually love any of these characters.. this is never ever explained). Background for the characters is not very good, nor are their motives. The humor occasionally caught me, but generally lacked. I did, however, enjoy some connectivity between the movie shown through puppeteering in cusak's character in various ways... other than that - this is by far one of the most over rated films in many years. Artsy? It was aesthetically unappealing with no more than an unusual premise (not presented in a positive fashion.)

Rating:
Summary: Yeah...
Review: Okay... this movie was very orriginal and weird... I loved John Malkovich.! I think his name should be Malcovich in every movie he's in. Anyway... I think this movie could've been betre if it was more like a comedy... everyone says it's so funny, but I heard no one laughing in the theatre. The only part I laughed at was the part when malkovich goes into the portal... the movie wasn't too weird for me... it was just done in a way I didn't like... there was always sad and dramatic music in otherwise funny parts. The movie has a sad ending. Poor Malcovich and Cussack. John and John were better with short hair... and at the end their lives are ruined.

Rating:
Summary: BLOOMIN' NUTTY!
Review: What this movie had in imagination, it lacked in character, message and acting. I do not care in the least that Diaz got a supporting nod, the characters - yes, even the typically super Malkovich (if this is the "real him", I am suprised at the effeminant mannerisms, frankly) - sucked. All the characters appeared drawn, like Barney Rubble. Very flat, lacking any sense of space, the entire movie seemed small in scope. A small environment can be an outstading setting for an intimate movie; this movie lacks any endearing features of intimacy, ultimately keeping the viwer at arm's length as the characters move from one unbelievable event to the next, all surrounding the "portal" that leads to Malkovich's mind. Although at times zany and creative, set against the dimly lit soundstage, and with stilted acting, the movie lacks any significant "punch". No tension, no caring for the protagonist, no feelings for the plight of Malkovich as he tries to unravel the mystery, Spike Jonze has lost the audience on this one. Ironically, the final scene, a small blonde child by the pool seeing two women together, lends itself to a story line that is particularly thought-provoking. But this scene is the finale, and is never realized fully. Rent, if you must, but do not buy. One star.

Rating:
Summary: Amongst the best of 1999.
Review: 1999 was a great year for movies in Australia, with Go, Run Lola Run,Election, Cube and this film, Being John Malkovich. These were allfilms that dared to do something different and it didn't hurt thatthey were all quite good too.

In this film, things seem to shiftfocus quite frequently. It starts off with John Cusack looking for ajob and ending up working in a very strange place. Initially, it'sjust funny with a weird boss, offices taking up half a floor and someequally strange co-workers. .... Things get progressively stranger andultimately becomes sinister but the film is no less enjoyable for thechange of tone.

Notable is the chase through the memories in JohnMalkovich's head, quite reminiscent of the Sminoff Vodka advertisementwith characters running through scenes in that would be impossible toconnect in the real world.

The cast is brilliant, Cameron Diaz isalmost unrecognisable from how we usually see her and outstanding.Caroline Keener did get an Oscar nomination and of course there isJohn Malkovich playing an actor who is not quite as famous as he is inthe real world (I think the jewel thief movie everyone think's he wasin was he was Entrapment - Well that's my theory) and just a bitstranger too. Particularly entertaining is the fight everyone hasover possession of John Malkovich's body while overlooking the facthe's the only one entitled to it.

John Cusack also stands out as aparticularly tragic character, a man who is just as good atpuppeteering as his famous contemporaries but can only gainrecognition and fame using the springboard of someone else who isalready famous because he just can't get that first break he needs. Asthings start to turn on him, he gets increasingly desperate and beginsa terminal slide to disaster. Despite the increasingly inexcusablethings he ends up doing, he pays what could only be described as theultimate price that even he didn't deserve. An important lesson onwhen good people start doing bad things, it gets hard to stop

Filmslike this should be supported as much as possible because they are notjust recycling the same old thing over and over again withincreasingly diminishing results. Spike Jonze and everyone elseinvolved has made a very good film.

Rating:
Summary: Weird
Review: Strange movie. John Malkovich is why I liked it. I find him strange in any movie that he is in. Even more so in this one especially when he is inside himself and all around him there he is. I laughed when he was singing, dressed as a female laying across the piano.

Rating:
Summary: Being an Excellent Movie
Review: I saw this movie by accident, I just walked by in the video store and decided to give it a try. I did not expect it to be one of those movies that make you re-examine yourself and your surroundings. Watching this movie is like an acid trip and it is amazing, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to think deep.