Tuesday, 23 October 2007

Being John Malcovich (1999)


Being John Malkovich

Written by:
Charlie Kaufman
Directed by: Spike Jonze


PLOT INTRODUCTION

A puppeteer discovers a portal that leads literally into the head of the movie star, John Malkovich.


REVIEW

How would I describe Being John Malkovich? Strangely normal. However, given the same question regarding Jonze and Kaufman's work, I'd say the exact same thing. Having only just seen the film for a second time this evening I can't say that I fully understand the movie at this point but nevertheless can appreciate the work as a piece of film rather than interpretive art.

I enjoyed almost everything about the film from its surreal plot, its dark humour and its gorgeous photography. The actors also give absolutely wonderful performances, injecting unforgettable energy into their characters, brining them to life effectively throughout. Perhaps what works best in the film's advantage is its originality and imagination, which combine right from the beginning to create a world that always feels familiar yet also remains fantastical.

The only real problem I have with the film is its sometimes slow pace that gets the story caught up in unimportant scenes with little importance. Fortunately however, Being John Malkovich for the majority of the time, never lets the attention go and will have you in its grasp long after it ends.



Written by Jamie Robert Ward, 23/10/2007.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well written article.