John Malkovich is my friend

Rating: Null/10 (26 August 2009)

Okay. Okay, I'm just going to...throw my hands in the air and disregard everything I ever knew about movies, because this film is just so...flat out bizarre, weird and boneheaded at times that there's nothing else to do about it. Let's just address the first and foremost question: Why John Malkovich? Did you just pick an actor's name out of a hat? Maybe I'm just too young or something, but god damn. You could have theoretically picked any actor, couldn't you? Did you just pick him because his last name is so catchy to say? I think that's why. Yeah, that must be it.
Second...IT'S A MOVIE ABOUT A PORTAL INTO HIS BRAIN. Which is admittedly a really interesting idea; it sure sold me. This movie is just...I don't know, it's really strange and it really leaves an impression on you. There are a lot of things I like about this. It's artistic, it's cryptic and it's got really excellent writing. As much of a head trip (ha-ha) as this movie is, it sure is good at keeping you drawn in. There really is a sense of comedic genius at work here, just in the plot itself, and it's underscored with a heavy layer of remorseful sadness: this is, at its core, a movie about longing and chasing one's dreams. When you cut out the weird bullshit, that's what it is, and the unique way in which the movie shows you this just makes it stellar.
But I do have some problems with this, like...god, what is up with some of the other comedy in this film? Like that stuff with the monkey with "childhood trauma"? And the whole first quarter of this is pretty much just completely insane. A lot of the time it just leaves you gaping at the screen rather than laughing, and I'm not sure that's a good thing. The jokes are rarely funny and are more confusing and odd than anything, and it hurts the film, especially in the beginning.
Being John Malkovich is one of a kind. It's really just...strange, but the gems here are hard to deny if you are actually crazy enough to stick around long enough for them.