Being John Malkovich

Probably the best movie ever made. It's effortlessly funny and it has a big heart. Great story, funny and vulnerable characters.

So, if you have seen a lot of Hollywood films, you have probably gotten used to ideas being lost or watered down. An original concept to begin a film turns into a message carried by most films. This film isn’t like that. This film has an original idea and with a straightforward linear plot goes forward with the idea and brings it to a satisfying completion. This is a really rare film in that regard. However, John Cusac’s always dirty wig, the dirty windows in his car, the constant bending over, the not particularly attractive woman as the object of everyone’s desires, these things kind of detracted from my more complete enjoyment. I guess the hair was used to forcefully illustrate the puppeteer’s control over Malkovich, and the dirty windows were a kind of metaphor. I found them unnecessary. On a separate note, there is really no point in renting or buying anything from before the early nineties in HD because the definition of the original film is never good enough to make a difference.

"Being John Malkovich" finely knits together the unparalleled talents of Cameron Diaz, John Malkovich & John Cusak with off kilter humor and a well thought out screenplay. Few can mesh them together, like Kaufman, in that oddly cozy way. Much like auntie's knitted blanket that matches nothing, yet the first thing you reach for when you curl up to watch a flick. -Opinionated Witch

1999 was one of the greatest years for cinema (American Beauty, The Iron Giant, Magnolia, Fight Club, The Blair Witch Project). Being John Malkovich stands out as the most strangest of them all. The idea of a portal that leads into the mind of one of the world's most underappreciated actors is great. If I was the first producer that Jonze and Kaufman contacted to get the wonderful screenplay produced, I would have said "Lets get this made." That little door in Craig Schwartz's office gives me the same chills and awe-ish feeling that the mysterious monoliths in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey had given me. A real original and surreal treat, this is a darkly hilarious fantasy that shouldn't be missed. The entire cast is pitch perfect and they fit in their strange and off color roles (strange costumes, motivations and make up), the mixture of philisophical questions on the subject of metaphysics from Charlie Kaufman, Carter Burwell's memorable score, Lance Acord's beautifully dark cinematography, and Spike Jonze's offbeat and stylized direction. It all fits in one of cinema's greatest motion pictures of all time.

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This was the one of the only movies I usually get off iTunes. Though it took me some considering I knew it would be good. This and Requiem for a Dream will be the only movies I will get and will be well spent.

The plot was decent, the idea was original, but the character developments honestly made no sense. Maxine in particular would go from one mindset to another, often with little to no explanation or good reason why. It overall made the movie unenjoyable.

The perfect film for any story lover. With great actors performing this great tale it is easily the best movie of 1999.

What

This is one of the few true masterpieces in cinema. It is hilarious, bizarre, and all around amazing! What more can you ask of a film?