A gimmick movie that goes beyond the gimmick

Rating: 9/10 (7 November 1999)

The concept of people entering another person's brain and seeing the world through that person's eyes would certainly be original, but add the fact that the person is a famous actor, and the plot may sound gimmicky. However, it would be an injustice to delegate this movie to gimmick status because the sharp plot, the witty dialogue, the surreal visuals, and the good cast make it the best movie I've had the pleasure of seeing so far this year.
Although, the movie did not start off right away with the concept of entering John Malkovich's mind, it was just great seeing John Cusack take on another unforgettable role as Craig the puppeteer. I was totally absorbed by his puppeteering, not to mention the fact that seeing him and Cameron Diaz look so bizarre was worth the price of admission alone. Further, besides Craig's failure at making a living with a puppeteer, his marriage is pretty much deficient too. Both of these spheres from his life come to a crash when he finds a new job where he meets the woman he is really in love with, and where he's lucky enough to stumble onto a passageway into the actor, John Malkovich's brain. This is where the movie gets very surreal, but luckily it never seems too silly for its own good. I don't want to spoil anymore about what happens next because it includes one of the funniest moments captured on film.
Let me just say that my worries about Spike Jonze being like most video directors turned movie directors, all style and no substance, is now put to rest, and I am eagerly looking forward to his next full length feature. I was also happy to see that the concept wasn't too gimmicky or weird for it's own good.
I now feel the movie is the best of this year. Although, another film may yet take that honor this year, there's no way that a more original movie could come out this year. I hope that Charlie Kaufman is recognized for his outrageous concept, and if he isn't at least nominated for many screen-writing awards this year, I'll be very upset.