Genius and inventiveness, but also a great waste of talent

Rating: 7/10 (20 March 2005)

I think that Charlie Kaufman is going to be my favourite screenwriter. I came to "Being JM" after "Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind" and again found with pleasure craziness and inventiveness in great abundance.
Being JM won the Saturn Award for the Best Fantasy Film from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, whereas Eternal Sunshine was nominated by the same for the best Science Fiction Film. Very well, because this means there is coherence and a kind of signature from an author.
Said that I loved the genius spread all around the film, I must also say that I'd have been happier if such a brilliant idea of the vessel had been used to develop something more than just a "comedy":
John Malkovich: You see, Maxine, it isn't just playing with dolls.
Maxine: You're right, my darling, it's so much more. It's playing with people!
I mean: from these very lines we can appreciate how differently and dramatically the film could evolve. In a sense, although as I said I enjoyed the movie, I also had the impression of a big waste of talent. In Eternal Sunshine such a talent was used to develop a wonderful love story, and this is why I think that Kaufman has really grown a lot after Being JM.