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Being John Malcovich #9 Best of Film of 1999 "Have you ever wanted to be someone else?" Maxine writes in an ad for her and Craig's new money-making venture. Of course, they are being literal, asking $200 dollars for an opportunity to be John Malcovich for fifteen minutes. You see, Craig (John Cusack) is desperate. He's a puppet-master. His nemisis is famous. He's not. It's winter. Nobody is standing outside to see his performances. In fact, no one appreciates his take on life. To compound things, there is an unspoken tension at home. He and his wife Lotte (Cameron Diaz) live in a small apartment filled with birds, lizards, and a chimp - Lotte is a veterinarian. She cares for her animals. He hangs out with his puppets. And maybe that is all that needs to be said. Lotte suggests he go out and find a job during the winter. So he does. He gets a filing job on the claustrophobic 7 1/2 floor where he meets and falls head-over-heels with a co-worker, Maxine (Catherine Keener). One day, while removing files, one of the folders falls behind the cabinet. Craig moves the cabinet away from the wall, only to discover a small door. Opening it, he crawls inside the cave-like hole. Suddenly, a great force throws the door shut and drags him down the narrow passage until he is looking out of the eyes of John Malcovich. 15 minutes later, he is spat out on the side of the New Jersey turnpike. Later, he shows Lotte the door and she chooses to try it out. "Being inside made me different," Lotte said to Craig on their way back home from the turnpike. "I knew who I was." Being John Malcovich is a delightfully odd film, full of philosophical and visual surprises. In particular, I was captivated by Craig's puppet shows, including the dance sequence starring John Malcovich. (Craig has taken over John's body and thus John is Craig's puppet.) Also captivating was Malcovich going into his own mind, only to discover that the whole world has become "Malcovich." This was not only incredibly clever but fitting. If we become caught up in ourselves, then we think, act, and feel that the whole world is us, or that it should revolve around us. The worth of this film lies in its meaning - becoming someone else opens our understanding; we discover who we are. Longfellow once wrote that "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disharm all hostility." Of course, there is a flip-side to this idea. Knowing someone well allows us to take advantage of them. Craig uses his pupeteering skills to take advantage of Malcovich in order to fulfill his dream of being respected, rich, and famous. Spike Jonze has created a fascinating and enigmatic film. Charlie Kauffman's script is unique and the most creative of the year. And the acting is dynamic, creating quirky characters we can't help but enjoy and love. |
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