Being John Malkovich

Rating:
Summary: Great idea but poorly executed.
Review: The previews were the best parts of this film. I found the idea behind the story, a mysterious doorway that takes the visitor into the mind of John Malkovich, very intriguing. Coupled with a good cast, the possibilities for a riveting and funny story abounded. But this movie doesn't carry it off.

Watching John Malkovich play himself is probably the best part of the film. John Cusack plays an unhappily married (to Cameron Diaz) pupeteer obsessed with an attractive coworker with whom he partners to sell trips into the mind of John Malkovich for $200 each.

There are some excellent pupeteering scenes in the film that are enchanting. There are a few laughs in places, but this is not a side-splitting comedy. The story takes time to build. We're almost a third of the way through the film before we have our first encounter with Mr. Malkovich.

After this first visit, the story meanders and plots within subplots appear with the pupeteers wife having a love affair with the attractive coworker while she occupies John Malkovich's body. Sounds confusing? It is a little.

As the film moves into the second half, it picks up pace, but it feels rushed. The novelty of watching John Malkovich play himself wears off and a brief appearance by Charlie Sheen (also playing himself) does nothing to improve the film.

My advice would be to rent the movie before buying. It's worth watching, in places, but not if you've got something better to do. I think most people can happily wait until it appears on TV.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but why the animals
Review: I thought I wouldn't like this movie, but instead I found it thoroughly enjoyable, and better yet, one of the few ORIGINAL movies of the past few years. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars, is because of its use of caged animals. I found this unnverving, disturbing, cruel, and unnecessary. Otherwise, it was excellent entertainment.

Rating:
Summary: Time Will Tell
Review: One day people will wake up and see this film for what it is:

a badly plotted, badly made, useless attempt at surrealism.

See Mark Lowdon's review - he knows what he's talking about.

Rating:
Summary: It's hard to believe this was an American film!
Review: I typically avoid the film product delivered to us pablum style by Hollywood. It's typically mindless and dull. Being John Malkovich renewed my faith in the capacity for creative thought still lurking out there. What a fantastic concept...getting inside the mind of Malkovich. And John Cusack is at the top of his form as well. If you're the least bit cerebral, you'll enjoy this film.

Rating:
Summary: Being John Malkovich
Review: This movie really made me think about what it would be like to be someone else. The whole time I just kept wishing I could be someone who WASN'T watching Being John Malkovich.

Rating:
Summary: Jonze Delivers The Bizarre
Review: Writer Charlie Kaufman, director Spike Jonze and a superb cast team up to deliver one of the most original, highly imaginative and clever films to come our way in a long time: "Being John Malkovich," starring John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener and John Malkovich is the story of out-of-work puppeteer Craig Schwartz (Cusack), who has a real talent for manipulating the strings of his marionettes, but unfortunately, his is a vocation not exactly in demand. And when he has to take a temporary job to support his wife, Lotte (Diaz), it's the beginning of a bizarre interlude that will ultimately take him, and a few others as well, into a realm beyond the known. Soon the question is, who is really pulling and controlling the strings of whom? Jonze has taken Kaufman's unique screenplay, which is witty, humorous and totally engrossing, and made an ingenious movie; in fact, there's never been anything quite like it. It is distinct and filled with nuance and subtle shades of humor, sometimes dark, sometimes hilarious, but riveting throughout. And the performances are absolutely first rate all around. Keener deservedly got the Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress, but Cusack, Diaz and Malkovich are also exemplary here. Cusack comes through with one of the best characters he's ever done; there's an edgy, quiet intelligence to Craig, a Bohemian at heart, who is reserved, generally takes things as they come, and exudes a certain boyish charm. He also has an apartment full of pets (snakes, birds and a chimp). Diaz, taking on a decidedly unglamorous role, is terrific as Lotte, who is somewhat unremarkable and works as a pet shop clerk. It's a great character part, and Diaz plays it for all it's worth, connecting with the audience while ably conveying Lotte's sense of confusion and repressed yearnings. Malkovich (as himself) is the icing on the cake; he plays it straight, with a finesse and distinction that makes the unbelievable somehow credible, while lending an easy, natural flow to the innate humor of the story. The "Malkovich, Malkovich," sequence, and his rendition of the "puppet's dance" are unforgettable scenes. But character actor Orson Bean (with his creation of the wry Dr. Lester), nearly steals the show with a truly memorable performance; the scene in which he interviews job-applicant Craig is classic. The supporting cast includes Mary Kay Place (absolutely hysterical as Floris), Charlie Sheen (Charlie), Carlos Jacott (Larry), Willie Garson (Guy in restaurant) and Byrne Piven (Captain Mertin). "Being John Malkovich" is a movie that is an experience in itself, and Jonze and his entire cast should be given a standing ovation for bringing this one to life, for making it breathe. It's the kind of film you wait for to come along, but rarely does, and it demands to be seen more than once; for when you've tasted such nectar as this, you simply have to go back for more.

Rating:
Summary: An odd parallel to everyday life.
Review: Spike Jonze is brilliant. He has managed to make a movie that puts the human mind on trial. When I first went to see this movie I knew nothing about it, and had some doubtful feelings on it, but when I left the theater I was left with one thought, what a very strange movie. Throughout the movie there's never any slapstick humor, but much darker humor and every scene will make one laugh and be in complete awe.

Not only is the idea of the movie original but the characters themselves. In the whole movie there are 5 characters that we get to know: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener (Maxine), Orsin Bean (Dr. Lester), and of course John Malcovich. Not one of these characters could I relate to or know anyone that could. Everyone was simply not normal, which I find to be rare in movies.

This movie is an Original masterpiece, and is well worth the price for anyone who wants to get away from Hollywood standards.

Rating:
Summary: Being John Malkovich
Review: I want to be John Malkovich

Rating:
Summary: This film is...is...well, not good
Review: I'd give this film one - yes, one! - star if not for the engaging and imaginative first half hour. After that, it's all downhill. A promising beginning that had my full attention dissolves into an unfunny mess, and it's painful to watch it happen. You can sense the movie is just not going to take off, and guess what? It doesn't. In the portal. Out of the portal. In the portal. Out of the portal. Dopey characters that were more like cartoons than real flesh and blood people. A plot that might have sounded good on paper but on celluloid failed miserably to hold my interest. Plus, a script that thought it was far more clever than it actually was.

My own mother said I had to see this preposterous nonsense. Shows you what she knows.

Rating:
Summary: the most creative film i've seen in a long long long time
Review: it was refreshing to see the usually beautiful cameron diaz and john cusak in clothes and hairdos that made them appear as regular, homely people. they pulled off the job excellently and geniuinely. catherine keener did a cool job as the icy maxine. and of course, john malkovich...what can i say? the only thing that ever bothered me about him was that he appeared in that 3 musketerr movie with leo dicaprio. nonetheless, the man's a master at his craft. he went along with this strange, surprising plot perfectly. i purchased the movie recently and just watched it again today and the movie still left me amazed, laughing, impressed, and as one reader described, "giddy." that's another great way to describe what this movie makes you feel. "Being John Malkovich" is a movie that i will always highly respect and love.