Yar, you be here: Being John Malkovich > Customer Reviews

Being John Malkovich Customer Reviews (43 - 45 of 67 Reviews)

Be someone else.
This movie, as you've read, is off-the-wall, yet it manages to ask key questions about the nature of identity. It's funny, constantly manic yet always interesting.

Catherine Keener deserved her Oscar nomination, playing Maxine as this vicious shrew who managed to find and find herself deserving of love. Nearly unrecognizable under a giant, frizzy wig, ministering to animals while trying to come to terms with realizing she's a man in a woman's body, Cameron Diaz gives the best performance of her career. And the switch given to John Cusack's character, from sad-sack hero to villain, proves his range. And Malkovich as Malkovich is superb.

Visually, it's stunning, as well. The puppet show scenes, occasionally hysterical, are just plain neat. And the scene where Malkovich enters his own portal is a particular highlight.

This was the best film of 1999.

Who do you want to be today?
In case, you don't know, that's a line from an Oingo Boingo song.

Being John Malkovich is a movie about people. John Cusack is an unemployed puppeteer who gets a new job in a very peculiar place: the 7 & 1/2 floor of an office building. He soon discovers a tunnel into the mind of movie star John Malkovich.

That's the plot at it's most basic. Trying to summarize this movie is like trying to explain what color looks like to a blind man. It is a shockingly original, amazing film. It was truly robbed of an Oscar for best original screenplay: while American Beauty was good, it wasn't as good as Malkovich and not nearly as original.

The direction by Spike Jonze is strange and surreal. There aren't a lot of bright colors or beautiful shots, but the movie really draws you in with it's dark, strange atmosphere. As I said before, the screenplay is utterly brilliant. The movie kind of reminds me of Terry Gilliam's Brazil - only it's not nearly as maddening to watch.

The performances are quite good, but really do serve the story. No one stands out in this movie. Not even Malkovich. One note: if you don't pay attention, the plot may confuse you a bit.

Being John Malkovich is a very rare kind of movie indeed: one that is stunningly original and incredibly well-done. Truly a must-see.

One of the most Unique Movies out of the Nineties
The most unique movie I've ever seen in my whole entire life. I've never seen anything like it. I didn't know exactly what to think. But I'll tell you about it and maybe you can get something out of it.

A puppeteer named Craig Schwartz (John Cusack, who's great as always)gets a job in a business building on the 7 1/2 floor. He confides in the very tempting coworker Maxine (Catherine Keener) who shrugs him off thinking he's a loser. After finding a port hole in the mind of actor John Malkovich, Craig gets Maxine into his schence to let others in to Malkovich for $200 a trip. Craig's frizzy haired animal loving wife (played by Cameron Diaz, you can barely notice her in this great role) wants to go back in Malkovich more than once and likes the idea of being a man, and decides she wants a sex change and falls for Maxine, who Craig fancies. Hence, chaos, Maxine falls for Craig's wife, Lodi, but will only have relations with her through Malkovich.

This movie is the most original film of the year. I think the message in this film, at least for me was that we should be happy with are and not hold other people above us and just be happy with what we have and who we are. Because if you try and be someone else you'll end up like Craig Schwartz....(see the movie)

This movie has a wonderful supporting cast featuring Orson Bean, Mary Kay Place, Charlie Sheen, and cameo appearances by Sean Penn, Andy Dick, Gary Sinise, Winona Ryder and many more. But look quick, they don't pop! out at you. All in all it's a great film with some good points, some funny scenes and NEVER a loss of energy. It just keeps going and by the end you want more, which I think is a good element in film. Leave the audience wanting more......

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Next Page