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Spiked! >> Being John Malkovich is the screwiest comedy of the year
by MATTHEW HAYS
There's the trendoid director, Spike Jonze (note the oh-so-cool spelling of that name), who's directed a whole load of hip music videos and has his feature debut with Malkovich. And there's the story of Malkovich's reaction to the plotline--he didn't know whether to call his lawyers or his agent when he heard about the premise--and his eventual decision to plunge in and partake.
It's easy to assume that Being John Malkovich would disappoint, after so much buzz. But the film pleases on virtually every level, from its spirited cast to its unique style to screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's wacky plot twists.
John Cusack, who's got playing beleaguered men down to a fine art, plays the puppeteer who can't find steady employment. He's an impoverished artist weary of the impoverished part, and Cameron Diaz is his pet-shop employee wife (thus their apartment is populated by various exotic animals). Diaz makes a smart move here: instead of playing another sexy blonde, she goes frumpy, creating a slightly nerdy type (I barely recognized her in the role).
After succumbing to his rather nasty economic reality, Cusack applies for a corporate gig. After a strange turn of events, he discovers a portal hidden behind a file cabinet. He falls through the portal, only to find he gets a seat (for about 15 minutes) inside the brain of John Malkovich. How this whole falling-into-someone's-brain business works is never really explained, but that's beside the point. Jonze takes this inexplicable, surreal premise and applies a distinct realism. He never descends into silly sitcom antics; instead, we see how the portal affects the lives of Cusack, his coworkers, Diaz and Malkovich himself.
To give away any more of the plot twists really wouldn't be fair. Being John Malkovich soon takes on elements of suspense and melodrama as well as absurdist comedy. Kaufman has stated in interviews that he didn't bother drafting an outline as he wrote the script, but rather simply sat down before the computer and let the characters and narrative take him where they may. The results are splendid: a truly inspired and innovative comedy--two things that make this film a genuine rarity as well. :
Being John Malkovich opens Friday, Nov. 5 |
Being John Malkovich is a film that certainly lends itself to plenty of good advance press. There's the bizarre plot, which involves a struggling puppeteer's discovery of a portal which allows people to get inside the head of heady actor John Malkovich.