Today’s quick review: Being John Malkovich. At the behest of his animal-loving wife Lotte (Cameron Diaz), unemployed puppeteer Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) takes a job at a strange company located on a half-floor in an office building. There he makes two life-changing discoveries: Maxine (Catherine Keener), an aloof coworker with whom he falls in love, and a hidden door leading inside the head of actor John Malkovich (John Malkovich).
Being John Malkovich is a surreal comedy with a unique premise from director Spike Jonze. Being John Malkovich takes a simple, arbitrary idea and runs with it. Those who go through the door get to experience fifteen minutes of John Malkovich’s life before being dumped by the side of the highway in New Jersey. The experience proves to be oddly fulfilling, and it has unexpected effects on the lives of Craig, Lotte, Maxine, and John himself.
Being John Malkovich is driven by its odd cast of characters. Craig is a loser with self-esteem issues and an unhealthy obsession with Maxine. Lotte’s first trip into Malkovich’s head uncovers a new side of her that further threatens her relationship with Craig. For her part, Maxine is a domineering woman who sees the door as a business opportunity and Craig as an amusement. Their relationships are dysfunctional in the extreme.
Just about the only normal character in the movie is John Malkovich himself. He is portrayed as an ordinary man, albeit something of a loner, who reacts with understandable outrage when he learns that his head is being used as a tourist attraction. Malkovich guides the movie through its most surreal moments, throwing himself into a memorable performance that examines the most personal details of his fictionalized life.
Being John Malkovich has a peculiar sense of humor that goes beyond just the fantasy portions of the movie. Every character is awkward in one way or another, and the ordinary world has a surreal edge to it, from Craig’s comically small office to his unusual dream of becoming a famous puppeteer. But even the moments that are neck-deep in fiction have a familiar tinge to them, exaggerating and distorting the struggles of real life.
Being John Malkovich is not a satisfying movie. Its characters are outside the usual boundaries of normalcy, its premise is entirely arbitrary, and its plot only gets stranger as it goes along. Its artistic statement about life, if there is one, is open to interpretation. But Being John Malkovich achieves what it sets out to do, and those interested by abstract, experimental films would do well to give it a shot.
For those with more conventional tastes, The Truman Show gets at similar themes without going as far afield.
7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for a novel premise, solid execution, and questionable payoff; your score will vary wildly.