Puppets and Portals: "Being John Malkovich"
As cinephiles, we all have those movies that we know are must sees. Sometimes, though, we either put them off and wait until the day comes when we'll get to them. This wait can be voluntary or involuntary. Nonetheless, it can usually coincide with the fact that we aren't quite "ready" for them. Art, whether abstract or simplistic, can solely be seen in a particular light in an even more particular moment. When that moment is can greatly influence how we interpret that work.
Having said that, I was going through my Netflix instant queue today, focused on watching something new. Being John Malkovich was around the middle of the list and immediately caught my attention. It has a reputation as one of those rare mavericks of originality and surrealism. The first element I greatly respect and the second can sometimes leave me irritated. I can tolerate it if it has something to say. Frequently, sadly, I've left with an un-directed and meaningless impression that neither I nor the creator of the work can comprehend.
The film's opening was very grabbing and immediately threw me into the ride of this movie. And what a ride it was. The directorial debut of Spike Jonze and creative genius Charlie Kaufman gave us a story of a poor puppeteer, down on his luck, who discovers a portal in his office that leads him into the mind of John Malkovich. Yes, pretty random. Even more unexpected in the juicy and simply messed up love square that envelopes between Malkovich, the protagonist Craig, his wife Lotte, and Craig's co worker Maxine. Odd are, you haven't seen a movie quite like this.
The trippy imagery is just the beginning. While certainly the reason many hipsters and/or drug users will gravitate toward this film, the interactions between the characters is what makes this film so great to watch. How they seem to manipulate, terrorize, or even love each other all at once is something truly special to behold. I think a lot of the credit for this should go to Jonze and Kaufman. Sure, the cast is really good at portraying these characters, the director and writer are what hold this film together.
The concept could have gotten out of control and incomprehensible to the viewer. But they're able to hone in on it to a great degree and leave the audience with a good sense of closure and understanding. That doesn't mean that they're aren't questions at the film's end. It could endlessly be debated and discussed for hours on end. It's films like this that remind me of why I love this art form more than all others. It's typical, especially in this day and age, for critics and audiences alike to scoff at a film's ambiguity and dismiss it as pretentious and domineering. However, great art questions who we are and people and the reality we live in. In that regard, this film works like few can or ever will.
Of all the positives I've put forth, I thought John Cusak was mostly unmemorable in his role as Craig. Sure, he was passable, but the role could have been played by anyone else and could have gotten the same, if not better result. Also, I was left wondering at the end why the 7 1/2 floor, the ability to create a portal into someone's mind, and the woman who refused to understand anyone were left unexplained. But, maybe lazily, I just shrugged these things off to being part of the weird, dreamlike nature of what Kaufman and Jonze were creating. It was pretty surprising to me Malkovich himself was as in the film as little as he was. This isn't necessarily a criticism but rather an observation. It reminded me of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. I'm always intrigued by movies where the title character isn't even the main one.
Going back to what I was saying earlier, I believe this film hit me at the right time of my life, both as a movie goer and as an individual. Art is a fragile being that must be nurtured and respected, with a willingness needed to be present if we wish to learn or interpret it with an open mind. It's a good thing we've not been giving ratings to the films that have been the subject of "Film Studies". I'm not quite sure were I would rate this but it would definitely warrant only a positive response.
All in all, this is another fine addition to the fantastic year of film that was 1999. It's comforting that such a great decade in film was finished with a solid group. Now, all we have to do is try to promote a formation of creative ideas in such a commercial landscape. Ah, how easy that should be.
Written by Kyle Huffman
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