Film Review: Being John Malkovich (1999)

(NOTE: Capsule version of the review is available here.)

As 1990s approached their end, number of Hollywood film with surprisingly high quality increased. Some might have gotten impression that Hollywood film makers began to work really hard in order to improve the average quality that was, until that point, rather disappointing in comparison with other decades. Whatever the motive was, critics and audiences didn’t complain and one of such pleasant surprises included Being John Malkovich, 1999 fantasy comedy directed by Spike Jonze, known as one of the most “out there” films made in Hollywood at that particular point in time.

The plot is set in New York City and the protagonist is Craig Schwartz (played by John Cusack), unemployed puppeteer who lives with his wife Lotte (played by Cameron Diaz), a pet shop clerk. With Lotte’s salary the couple could have make ends meet, but not with large number of pets, including chimpanzees, that animal-obsessed Lotte brought to apartment. So, Craig is forced to seek work and he finds it in one firm where offices have such low ceiling that employees must crouch while they walk. Craig’s new boss Dr. Lester (played by Orson Bean) likes to fill Craig’s ears with his bizarre sexual fantasies directed at his dyslexic secretary Floris (played by Mary Kay Place). But Craig’s attention is set on attractive co-worker Maxine (played by Catherine Keener) who, on the other hand, considers him to be a pathetic loser. Everything changed when Craig discovers hidden tunnel that turns out to be a portal into the mind of another person. That person is famous actor John Malkovich (playing himself); Craig has ability to see whatever Malkovich sees, hear whatever Malkovich hears and feel whatever Malkovich feels. The phenomenon lasts for fifteen minutes after which Craig is transported near New Jersey Turnpike. Short but memorable experience makes Craig repeat the same expedition and later tells Lotte and Maxine about it, leading to all kinds of bizarre and unexpected consequences.

Being John Malkovich was feature directorial debut for Spike Jonze, film maker until that time known almost exclusively for his music videos. Jonze, whose work on this film coincided with acting debut in Three Kings and marriage to fellow director Sofia Coppola, was very fortunate to get the script by Charlie Kauffman, who also made feature debut with this film. Kaufman would almost instantly build reputation as one of the very few original writers in Hollywood, always able to surprise audience with bizarre characters, settings and narrative twists. His concept works wonderfully in Being John Malkovich, although the basic concept of entering other people’s mind doesn’t look original at first glance and was used in plenty of other Hollywood films. Idea of ordinary person switching life with Hollywood celebrity also isn’t too original. What Kaufman did with the concept was to give it an original spin that would make it more convincing yet refreshing. Hollywood celebrity in this film isn’t attractive superstar that could cause teenage girls to put his posters on bedroom walls, but actually a serious actor who has built his reputation playing character roles. Life of Malkovich, at least his fictional version in this film, is actually quite boring and uneventful in comparison with his colleagues who like to fill front pages of tabloid newspapers. What attracts protagonist and other characters to his mind isn’t opportunity to live his life of wealth, luxury and fame but desire to escape, only for a short time, from their bleak and monotonous every day life. Kaufman in his script suggests that those sad individuals’ lives won’t be improved with those occasional trips and they would remain miserable and full of frustrations.

Jonze brings another major surprise by the style of his direction. Most of his colleagues who began careers in music videos are prone to employ MTV aesthetics in their feature films. Jonze takes completely different approach, at least at the beginning. Cinematography by Lance Acord is using dark tones, the shots are long, plot revolves slowly and Being John Malkovich looks more like Woody Allen’s drama about frustrated New York intellectuals than innovative fantasy comedy. Jonze uses opportunity to first build characters and their interactions and only when that aim is achieved begins to play around with different innovative shots (like those that illustrate characters’ childhood frustrations).

Jonze also enjoyed truly great cast. John Malkovich, despite being the character in the title, doesn’t have any qualms about being the second fiddle to the actor playing the actual protagonist. John Cusack is great as neurotic whose physical looks clearly shows the dead end in which he found his life. Jonze also played with audience’s expectations and stereotypes while casting female role. Cameron Diaz, who was one of the most glamorous and stars and something of a sex symbol of 1990s Hollywood, plays arguably the least attractive character of her career. Lotte looks like someone has mopped the floor with her and it is quite understandable why Craig isn’t too enthusiastic about spending the rest of life with her. Catherine Keener, who made career by playing good mothers, wives and similar embodiments of middle class values, is transformed into cruel and ruthless seductress. Veteran television comedian Orson Bean (partially known as one of the victims of 1950s Hollywood Blacklist) excels in his role, just like Charlie Sheen who has great fun playing fictional version of himself.

Thanks to original script, excellent direction and superb cast, Being John Malkovich is a film that easily makes audience ponder some important questions about perception of reality, nature of human identity and differences between media image and real life. But, what is even more important, it does so in extremely entertaining way which is at the same “out there” and close to most of the viewers’ hearts.

RATING: 9/10 (++++)

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