Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT SCREENPLAY AND PERFORMANCES
Review: I kept putting off watching "Adaptation" thinking it would be some strange "bizarro" concoction. But it was "AMAZING." This film is not a comedy--but pure drama. I kept hearing that the first hour was boring and almost unwatchable. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. The entire film is captivating. I could not take my eyes off of it. Cage is very good here. Streep and Cooper are brilliant----great performances all the way around. The screenplay was incredibly original and should have won the Oscar. Don't put off seeing this like I did for so long. RENT IT OR BUY IT TODAY----if you like good cinema--you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: A brain bender...from book to screen
Review: For a truly mind-bending movie experience, read the book first, then watch the movie immediately. [That's what I did. Finished the book in the afternoon, popped in the DVD that night.] Although I find Nicolas Cage [who plays sad-sack, low-self-esteem writer Charlie Kaufman] less than scintillating as an actor [does he ever actually act, or is that mumbly, low-energy persona Cage himself?], I liked the movie a lot. Having just turned the final page 6 hours before viewing the DVD, I could understand Kaufman's anguish at having to transform this wide-ranging, not very dramatic or sequential book into a screenplay. The proximity of reading and viewing made me acutely aware of his screenwriting "process" and his impressive imagination. The creative liberties he takes with the book's story are fascinating, courageous and surprising. In the end, the movie was, for me, both a terrific object lesson in invention and a thought-provoking commentary on human nature, passion and creativity. Congratulations to Kaufman for taking the risk!
Rating:
Summary: Adaptation
Review: How can you describe Adaptation?
It's like one of those pictures of a guy holding a picture you're looking at. Then inside that picture, there's another picture of the guy holding the picture, and on and on.In theory, Adaptation is a great idea, but in execution; it loses a bit of it's charm. And, it's a very hard movie to explain. Let's just say that Charlie Kaufman sits down one day and decides to write a movie, about The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean. Soon, he writes a movie about himself writing the movie. Then he changes the movie to his liking, and the story so that it suits him. Adaption is a movie about that- but the twist is that somehow he's writing about the movie he's already in. The story won't make sense anyway, until you see it. Nicholas' Cage's acting is fairly good, Meryl Streep's acting is devoid of her usual talent, however, and Chris Cooper's acting (for which he won Best Actor at the Oscar's) was creepy. The DVD has absolutely nothing but a Superbit transfer and 2 theatrical trailers. You should see this movie only to see what a really weird movie is like, but it really isn't as good as Being John Malkovich.
Rating: 
Summary: Another off-beat confection from Kaufman & Jonz
Review: Adaptation is an odd hybrid; it's a combination of elements from the nonfiction book The Orchid Thief: Charlie Kaufman's difficult time writing an adaptation of that book and a fictional plot integrated into all those elements involving Charlie's nonexistant twin brother; a strange character study and murder thriller. It's rolled into a messy package which makes it all the more essential viewing. Although I would hesitate to call this a classic film, it's an unusual one and highly imaginative. Like Kaufman's script for Being John Malkovich, Adaptation takes all the rules of script writing and genre definitions and subverts them. Jonz' direction only enhances the odd, quirky qualities of Kaufman's original script. Nicolas Cage gives a strong performance as both Donald and Charlie Kaufman. I've had my doubts about him as an actor in the past; he started off with a lot of potential which Cage seemed to throw away in meaningless poorly written action flicks. Here Cage (who was becoming a self-parody as an actor) both redeems and reinvents himself. We'll see where he goes from here. Chris Cooper and Meryl Streep are both outstanding in their roles as well. Streep has the same name as the author of The Orchid Thief although her character is completely fictionalized and the events come completely from Kaufman's mind. It's ironic that Kaufman should share the same last name as Andy Kaufman. Andy Kaufman played with the conventions of comedy stretching (and some would say damaging) the boundaries of stand up and performance comedy. In many respects, Charlie Kaufman does much the same for screenwriting. Adaptation is odd film that may take a bit of time to grow on you. For all of its weaknesses, it's an astonishingly original script from a very unconventional mind. Jonz' direction works wonders with Kaufman's words; he seems the perfect director to interpret Kaufman's bizarro world view. The picture quality is outstanding on this superbit DVD. There are few if any analog artifacts and I didn't detect any compression problems. The 5.1 sound is state of the art although I did notice it was a bit flat and compressed for many of the quieter dialog dominated scenes. There are few extras as all the extra disc space is primarily devoted to the higher picture and sound quality found on Superbit DVDs. I'd recommend renting before buying to see if Kaufman's off kilter world view is your cup of tea. If you find it is, you won't mind buying the DVD after viewing it. You also may discover some interesting insights into the world of Hollywierd as seen by Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonz.
Rating:
Summary: Best movie I have seen in many years
Review: I felt it was a film about using others as opposed to following one's own dream. The least trodden road is difficult but the rewards can be immeasurable. Perhaps it is rather trite, but the orchid is a metaphor for life which can, if embraced, exude its beauty and rarety. If abused, it often leads to disillusion and can ultimately destroy. I realize that it is an adaptation of a book, but in an evolutionary sense, the one who can overcome frustrations (writer's block?) and obstacles is the more adaptable and consequently more prone to survive. [The fish which followed the school didn't make it to land]. The film ends as only it can; after the protagonist has exhausted the options of collaboration, he sets out on his own. Even if he doesn't succeed (as some of us are wont to define success), he has found out some things about himself. I got the feeling that even though he suffered pain or more likely because he did, he is going to write his own book regardless of what the publisher or anyone else thinks. This is not your average mind-numbing film, but if you want sometning that leaves you thinking and you have some spare time to concentrate, Try this film, if it leaves you wondering, it has done its job.
Rating:
Summary: very good movie with great performances
Review: a quite fantastic movie. cage should have shared and won the best actor's oscar with nicholson. but instead, both had to give in and give away to a new comer, and it's not quite justifiable. the well scripted plot twisted and twisted and then turned out to be a very interesting movie. all roles in this movie are very good.
Rating: 
Summary: Overblown, silly and much too clever for its ow good
Review: I read the book "The Orchid Thief" and loved it. And so, when I heard it was being adapted for a film, I was delighted. I knew the film would be rather offbeat and experimental because I had seen the trailers. And it was being directed by Spike Jonze who directed "Being John Malkovich". And Charlie Kaufman, one of the writers, was the creative genius who wrote the John Malkovich film also. I therefore expected something strange. Well, I certainly got it. This film is about the screenwriter himself and his struggles with creatively adapting the book. Nicholas Cage is cast in this role and he sure is a good actor, especially since he is playing two roles - one as the self-effacing screenwriter and one as his twin brother who is also a screenwriter. The camerawork is clever and Cage does an excellent job of portraying the two personalities. Meryl Streep is cast as Susan Orlean. She's good too, but this is neither her best or most challenging performance. Chris Cooper, cast as the Florida orchid hunter manages to seduce the audience as well as Meryl Streep. But there are plot twists in this film that never occurred in the book. And much of it was overblown and silly. The film becomes is just too clever for it's own good though. I spent most of the time wondering where it would go as it meandered around exploring the process of creativity. The characters were so exaggerated that I couldn't relate to any of them. And even though the film is considered a comedy I didn't laugh once. Mostly, I just looked at my watch, waiting for it to end.
Rating:
Summary: OK - I get it now......(and it's been done before)
Review: Last night I finally sat down to watch "Adaptation". I claim to be no expert on film, or its history, or really much of anything besides my own opinion. I had heard great things about this film, and I wasn't disappointed (as I often am) when I finally got the chance to see it.
First - to anyone who thinks that this is really supposed to be about Charlie Kaufman's struggle with adapting Susan Orlean's book "The Orchid Thief" - wake up. This is the convenient title that Kaufman chose to show the ridiculousness of Hollywood, and the pain that he experiences working in it. If you still don't get it - check out the "Bloom County" series of comic strips about the filming of the sequel to "To Kill a Mockingbird" called "Kill Mo' Mockingbird". The basic premise of this film had been already shown through Berke Breathed's acerbic hero, Opus. In "Bloom County", as in "Adaptation", the kindly, gentle hearted book is given the Hollywood treatment, not really because someone felt it needed to be made into a movie, but because the author needed to show the audience a book which should NEVER be a movie. Kinda like doing a buddy film about "The Communist Manifesto". That's the joke people. If you still don't get this - see "The Player" - there's a perfect example of it with the two writers and their "no stars" script that they pitched, which wound up getting filmed with Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis. I imagine that most people who still think that this has anything to do with Charlie Kaufman (in real life) actually trying to write this script from this book are the same people who still don't get "The Larry Sanders Show" or "This is Spinal Tap".
The acting is what makes this film - and in particular the three leads.
Nicolas Cage (an actor that I have had a peculiar disdain for his whole career- INCLUDING THAT DAMNED "LEAVING LAS VEGAS" PERFORMANCE HE STUMBLED THROUGH) turns in a great performance. His realism in both characters that he plays is just great. We get the frustration of Charlie combined with the ease of Donald, and they both wind up (and here's another joke you may have missed) being extensions of the same person (just like "The 3"). Kudos for finally doing a job worthy of your reputation Mr. Cage.
There is not enough space in this or any other place on Earth to describe the incomparable Meryl Streep. She is simply the best actor (you don't call them "lawyeresses" do you?) that has walked this planet in our lifetimes. Her transitions in this film are inspired, and the scene with the all night telephone call is some of her finest work since "Silkwood" (anyone who can make Kurt Russell look like that good an actor MUST be amazing).
Chris Cooper is an actor's actor. He and David Straithairn are two of my favorite character actors working now. Each just brings a naturalness to his performance that belies the amount of work that they are doing. It took me a few minutes to recognize Mr. Cooper in this film, and I can think of no higher praise for an actor. Sure, he looked like him - but he moved and talked in a way that I haven't seen before. I can only hope that Hollywood can continue to find really great roles for him like this one.
All in all I think that this movie maybe takes itself too seriously at times - and because of that may go right over a bunch of people's heads. Reading the online reviews in this section will confirm that. It's a very funny movie that despite what everyone seems to think HAS been done before. I am one of those people who just never gets tired of this type of cynical satire. Definitely worth a watch, but try to remember that it really is just a great big joke.
Rating: 
Summary: If anything happens in this movie.......
Review: I rented this film hearing good things about it, and only veiwing bad things. Nothing really happens till the end of the movie, half of it is flashbacks, and everything just seems to have no end. The only good charactor is the kauffman brother who is wrighting the screenplay "The 3". And he is annoying. The only time this movie even tends to pick up is at the end of it (which by then u have probubly turned off the movie and thrown it in the trash.) STAY AWAY FROM THIS PEICE ...
Rating:
Summary: Bizarre, Brilliant, Excellent
Review: This is one of the most entertaining, intelligent films I've seen in a long time. Chris Cooper is proving to be quite the character actor; his Oscar is well deserved. It's great to see Meryl Streep in yet another complex role. And then there's Nicolas Cage. He has more than demonstrated acting depth and flexibility in everything from romantic comedies to action flicks to tales of despair. In Adaptation, we get a double treat, as he portrays identical twin screenwriters Charlie and Douglas Kaufman. As someone who has triplet younger sisters - two identical, the other one may as well be - watching him do this was my favorite part of this movie. It is amazing to watch 2 (or more) people, virtually indistinguishable, grow up and develop very distinct mannerisms and personality traits along the way, so much so that figuring out who you're dealing with really can hinge on noticing that one little thing they do, or say - or don't do or say. Cage just nails this. And he doesn't just focus on making each character a little bit different: underlying the differences is that unspoken bond often observed in twins - or other multiples. The one that says "While it's true that you can be a frustrating, exasperating, living, breathing mirror image of me, pity the person that tries to hurt you - they'll answer to me!" For that alone I bought the DVD.
|
