One of the most original movies I have seen

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2005)

Charlie Kaufman may be one of the most original writers in Hollywood today. Pair him with the unconventional Spike Jonze who is equally as original and you've got one amazing film.
Being John Malkovich is about, well, being John Malkovich. Craig Schwartz played by John Cusack, in probably his best role to date, is a struggling puppeteer. He loves his art form but unfortunately it is a dying art form. Lotte, Craig's wife, acted to perfection by Cameron Diaz, is obsessed with her animals. One of these animals is a monkey whom, Lotte swears, is traumatized by his childhood and needs psycho-therapy. The couple seems to genuinely love each even though they are down on their luck. Craig, after some persuasion by his wife and to help with finances, gets a job as a file clerk on the 71/2 floor of the Merton-Flemmer building. It is here that he meets the beautiful Maxine, played by Catherine Keener in a role that earned her an Oscar Nomination from the academy. He becomes a little obsessed with Maxine and she loves the attention from him, although she does not say this we can sense that. After finding a portal to John Malkovich, where you can be him for 15 minutes, Craig and Maxine hatch a plan to charge people $200 a pop to be John Malkovich. From here the story takes off into territory you will never see coming.
This is one of the most original movies I have seen. This is a movie that touches on themes that many people ponder but never bring to life. What if I where someone else? How far will I go to seek the approval of others? It also touches on some philosophical themes such as, Am I who I think I am? Craig mentions some of these things after telling Maxine about his first trip through Malkovich. Everyone in this movie is amazing. And this could be everyone's best movie to date. John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener and even John Malkovich. This is Spike Jonze first feature length film and a welcome one at that. (He earned a best director nomination from the Academy.) I look forward to future projects he will be working on. I highly recommend this movie but I will say it won't be for everyone.