Being John Malkovich
Ever want to be someone else? Now you can.
Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is a struggling street puppeteer. In order to make some money, Craig takes a job as a filing clerk. One day he accidentally discovers a door...a portal into the brain of John Malkovich (played by John Malkovich)! For 15 minutes, he experiences the ultimate head trip -- HE is being John Malkovich! Then he's dumped onto the New Jersey turnpike! With his beautiful office mate Maxine (Catherine Keener) and his pet-obsessed wife (Cameron Diaz), they hatch a plan to let others into John's brain for just $200 a trip. See what all the critics are talking about.
Member Reviews
Uneven - Willibrord
Being John Malkovich answers that age-old question, "What happens when a man enters his own portal?" While well-acted, funny, and disturbing (in a good way), the film suffers from an excess of interpersonal cruelty and the lack of a sense of its own boundaries. John Malkovich playing himself is on its own worth the price of admission though!Best screwball comedy since . . . - mlpvolt
The wackiness in this movie is all in the service of comedy and it is good service indeed. Even funnier the second and third time. A unique career performance for Cameron Diaz, in striking contrast to her usual glamorous leading lady roles. Malkovich as himself is extremely interesting to watch, if you can imagine a very talented actor asked to portray a slightly cartoonish and absurd but psychologically real version of himself - it is a strikingly brave thing to do. Not to mention that later he has to play himself as inhabited of several other characters.Brilliant - rnhaas
I just watched this again for the first time and ages and I think I liked it even more than the first couple times. It's endlessly inventive and hilarious at the same time. It sets up new rules for this alternate reality and, the important thing, it sticks to them. So many movies violate their own premises for some reason or other but this one stays true. Cusack and Diaz do great jobs being "unglamourous" but obviously the real star is Malkovich. Anyone who would agree to this is awesome but he does everything he's asked with such amazing commitment; this is probably the best performance of his career. Also, the Sheen cameos are amazing.
Member Reviews
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Uneven - Willibrord
Being John Malkovich answers that age-old question, "What happens when a man enters his own portal?" While well-acted, funny, and disturbing (in a good way), the film suffers from an excess of interpersonal cruelty and the lack of a sense of its own boundaries. ...Best screwball comedy since . . . - mlpvolt
The wackiness in this movie is all in the service of comedy and it is good service indeed. Even funnier the second and third time. A unique career performance for Cameron Diaz, in striking contrast to her usual glamorous leading lady roles. Malkovich as himself ...Brilliant - rnhaas
I just watched this again for the first time and ages and I think I liked it even more than the first couple times. It's endlessly inventive and hilarious at the same time. It sets up new rules for this alternate reality and, the important thing, it sticks ...