I should have hated it but...

Rating: 7/10 (4 November 2006)

"Being John Malkovich" isn't easy to categorise. Let's just say that the story of a frustrated and bitter puppeteer who discovers a way to get inside the mind of one of America's greatest actors isn't standard Hollywood fare.
John Malkovich deserves a lot of credit for allowing this bizarre film to be made. Somehow it wouldn't have been the same if writer Charlie Kaufman had called it "Being Michael Douglas" or "Being Jim Carrey".
Looking at the negative comments for this film, it seems that even the art-house crowd are split down the middle. Too pretentious to be mainstream, yet too gonzo to be a "Cult Classic", "Being John Malkovich" is the cinematic equivalent of Marmite.
You'll either love this film or you'll hate it. I recommend that you find out, one way or the other - you can always switch off after 30 minutes if you don't.
Personally, I love Marmite.