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

Being John Malkovich Customer Reviews (64 - 66 of 67 Reviews)

The Most Original and Inventive Films of the Decade!!
This movie is so inventive that you'll wonder how screenwriter Charlie Kaufman thought of the concept. Refreshingly modern, hip, giddy, funny, innovative and bursting with originality, you won't find any creative block here. The plot is nearly indescribable, it has something to do with a portal at floor 7½ that leads into the mind of actor John Malkovich for 15 minutes and then dumps you on the New Jersey turnpike, sound weird? it is, but the plot is beside the point. It is thoroughly original, hilarious and extremely and entertaining. John Cusack is great as the pathetic pupeteer, and Cameron Diaz shows she can take good career risks with this unusual role for her. But it is Catherine Keener and John Malkovich who give the film is's flavor. Keener is the ultimate object of desire for everyone in the film and she delivers very funny lines and gives the best performance in the cast. John Malkovich is also very funny playing himself, showing us that you can deliver a good performance even if you're playing an 'actor named John Malkovich'. Great movie, one of the best of 1999. See it. From a scale of 1-10 I give this movie a 9!

Disturbingly amoral; and quirky does NOT equal funny!
This movie is disturbingly, glibly amoral. It's not even immoral; it's Amoral. As in, the person who wrote it may not so much be an immoral person; rather, that the person has no moral compass whatsoever. You tell me which is worse.
The message of these amoral movie-makers: Hey, it's all relative, right?
Setting aside the all-too politically-correct condoning of lesbianism, this movie also condones adultery and spousal abuse (i.e., locking your wife up for hours on end so you can go chase another woman!).
To top it all off, it's not funny. If there were some funny scenes in it, maybe they were left on the cutting room floor or something.
Just because a movie is quirky, does NOT necessarily mean it's funny.
If you want to see a quirky movie which is actually funny as well, go rent Raising Arizona again, and nevermind this colossally overrated stinker.

"Don't stand in the way of my actualization as a man."
Spike Jonze's "Being John Malkovich" dares to challenge anything that can be remotely labeled as conventional logic and emerges triumphant in its undertaking. Those viewers who have been conditioned to accept only standard narrative fare will find their minds joyfully liberated upon seeing this film. Sometimes experimentation in cinema does indeed work.

Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is a puppeteer who creates unappealing puppets that turn off the public. His career as a puppeteer is going nowhere so he seeks other employment and soon finds himself working in an office building that has a floor lodged between the seventh and eight floors. Craig then becomes smitten with co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener), but even more attention-grabbing is a doorway he finds behind a file cabinet that leads into the brain of John Malkovich (John Malkovich playing himself). Craig uses the doorway for his own selfish pursuits but eventually his wife, Lotte (Cameron Diaz), Maxine, and Malkovich himself learn of his exploits. A metaphysical battle like you have never seen before then ensues in which the fate of John Malkovich's sanity hangs in the balance.

"Being John Malkovich" defies description. This is a film that people just have to see for themselves. A second-hand account of it will not do justice to its eccentric and creative nature. Simply put, "Being John Malkovich" could easily have become a freak-film if it was made by a less-able director, but Jonze manages to keep the entire production afloat from start to finish. Credit must also be given to Cusack, Diaz, Keener, and Malkovich who are all great in their roles. Each of them ably captures the peculiar tone that the premise of the film demands of them. Malkovich is particularly hilarious in a sequence where he discusses his new career as a puppeteer. Now, it must be said that "Being John Malkovich" is not for everyone. One must have a somewhat skewed outlook on the world to appreciate the ideas put forth in this film. If you're willing to check all rational thought at the door and keep an open mind then you will be rewarded with a fascinating and unique viewing experience. One thing is for sure - after watching "Being John Malkovich," you'll never look at a small door behind a file cabinet the same way again.

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