I knew Being John Malkovich was going to be a weird movie, that's why I wanted to see it, and oh boy what a weird movie. I was surprised at the originality of the movie and how it got onto the big screen because of its originality. Thankfully Spike Jonze got to bring this odd slice of cinema to us the movie-viewing public.

The Beginning: Craig and Lotte

Craig is a puppeteer who tries to bring in a new avant garde aspect to puppeteering that doesn't always go well with others. Since Lotte and Craig share a house with about half a dozen animals Lotte suggests to Craig that he should go out and get a real job until his puppeteering job takes off. Craig does manage to find a day job on the seventh and a half floor of an office building where the ceiling is only five feet high and everyone goes through their day hunchbacked. Here Craig meets Maxine Lund, a beautiful yet prickly co-worker who doesn't really find Craig interesting and acts bored with him everytime he comes to flirt with her. It is where Craig discovers the PORTAL...

The Portal:

At first Craig doesn't know where the portal leads and decides to investigate further down the dark tunnel, but as he does this he is sucked into the tunnel and when he stops he ends up seeing through the eyes of John Malkovich. However after a few minutes Craig is spit out of Malkovich's mind and onto the New Jersey Turnpike!

Here's Where it Gets Weird:

Craig shares the discovery with Maxine and his wife Lotte, who instantly wants to experience the thrill for herself and after doing so becomes obsessed with "Being John Malkovich". Maxine also has plans for Malkovich. She advertises trips into Malkovich's mind to anyone who can pay and Craig and Maxine become Business partners in BEING JOHN MALKOVICH INC. thing get odd when Maxine becomes involved with Malkovich while Lotte is inside John Malkovich and Lotte and Maxine become lovers but only when Lotte is inside Malkovich!

..And Weirder:

Craig becomes jealous of Lotte and Maxine's relationship because he wants Maxine to himself but she isn't interested in him only Lotte or is it really Malkovich? One day Craig snaps and locks Lotte into a cage and forces her to call Maxine and tell her that Lotte will meet her in Malkovich when in truth it will be Craig who meets her in Malkovich. When Craig enters Malkovich he uses his skill as a puppeteer to control Malkovich and prevent himself from being spat out as in previous occasions. When Maxine finds out that Lotte isn't in Malkovich but Craig is, she becomes intrigued at the idea of using Malkovich's fame to their own desires. So Maxine abandons Lotte and marries Craig/Malkovich and then and Craig turns Malkovich into a puppeteer and makes Malkovich famous at it.

...And Really Weird:

After a few months have passed Lotte remains bitter at the fact that Maxine abandoned her for Craig/Malkovich, then one day Lotte is summoned by Craig's old employer, Dr. Lester who tells her about the portal and how Craig must be booted out before midnight tonight so that he and a handful of other people can achieve eternal life by remaining in Malkovich's mind till his offspring comes of age. The offspring is being carried by the now pregnant Maxine. They offer Lotte the chance to go with them and she accepts and goes along to help them try and get Craig out. So the group kidnaps Maxine and forces Craig to get out of Malkovich or else they off his wife. However Lotte is still ticked off at Maxine and ends up chasing her through John Malkovich's subconscious (one the craziest scenes in the movie).

And now we've come to the end of our ride....

Like I said this was a very original movie. I loved how the filmmakers played with the aspect of the situation and milked it for all it was worth without making it seem stupidly ridiculous. I also kind of liked the humor about how people celebrity worship because the people in this movie didn't know who John Malkovich was yet they wanted to have some part of him because he was a celebrity.

To the Players......

Praise and kudos to Cameron Diaz who got gutsy and chucked her beauty products to become the frizzy-haird, frumpy wife of Craig, she is now officially an actress. Also I big WAY TO GO, to Mr. John Malkovich with whom this movie obviously wouldn't be possible. The man definitely has a sense of humor about himself. And we must thank the studio for its insight and courage in deciding to finance this movie and take a chance: WAY TO GO BOYS!! NICE CALL!!!

I have to admit that watching this movie is very much like going on a roller coaster ride, my brain definitely got whiplash after watching this movie, but hey it was the good kind of whiplash. So bring your neck brace with you if you decide to see this movie it'll be fun. Oh and malkovich malkovich, malkovich!






Recommended: Yes