uneven, but has bright spots

Rating: 7/10 (15 January 2005)

There are some good performances by John Cusack and Cameron Diaz. The heart of the matter for me though is the moment when John Malkovitch becomes John Malkovitch. It's one of the best comedic sequences in motion pictures.
I won't spoil it for you beyond that, but it's worth pointing out that John Malkovitch is a splendid actor who carries this movie on his back. He's only in it for about 1/3 of the time, but during that time I get a reminder of what a great talent really is, even if he is full of himself, with his periwinkle bathmat, LOL.
The director loses focus during an extended session where we see proof that the puppeteer has become John. There's an interview with Sean Penn which does nothing to advance the story.
The character Maxine is an intimidating and disheartening reminder of how beautiful single women can sometimes behave.