Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich was a solid add to my 'instant' queue on Netflix last night. I remembered reading a review on the film by Roger Ebert shortly thereafter in which he states - 'The first 30 minutes keeps you guessing, just as much as the last 30.' Something to that tune. But Ebert is spot on. When John Cusack auditioned for the lead role of Craig, it was because he loved the script, having immediately fallen in love with it. While this film is merely 15 years old, it is a fine, fine piece of cinematic art - and even ranks on many top 100 lists. The film essentially deals with identity, being someone else, and becoming something of true significance. Check the lineup: Cusack, Cameron Diaz (who looks nothing like her self in this - frizzy, red hair, frumpy jeans, etc.) Catherine Keener (a woman who continues to be in decent pictures, while maturing gracefully) and J.M. himself.
For my generation of pop-culture feeders, Malkovich goes essentially unrecognized as an iconic man of the theatre and the silver screen. Don't let Burn After Reading fool you - Malkovich is the man, pulling off an incredible transformation in the film from himself to Craig, who inhabits his body through puppeteering. I'm not here to deliver a synopsis, but rather pay homage to a great piece of cinema that totally and completely came out of nowhere! We need more films like this...
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