Being John Malkovich

Puppets are an odd form for art to manifest. But for Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) they are his livelihood. He has no job, but carries out his obsession with puppets dancing to sad music on the streets of the city. His puppets are too dark for passerby to enjoy very much, and he is eventually convinced to take up a filing job at a strange company. His girlfriend Lotte (Cameron Diaz), a lover of animals, aids him in this reluctant decision. She herself is a strange woman with hair that looks like it has seen too much wind. Craig, on his first day of work, looks for the 7 1/2 floor where the company is, and is forced to stop the elevator between floors 7 and 8 to find it. At work, he encounters a sexy, but cruel woman named Maxine (Catherine Keener). He pines for her, but she is content with toying with him. Amongst this situation, Craig discovers a portal in his office that leads directly into the head of John Malkovich. The snide Maxine takes this as a business opportunity, and soon she and Craig are at the head of a secret, middle of the night company that allows people to be inside of John Malkovich's head. Here, Craig's obsession with puppets comes through, for he has a sneaky idea that as a puppetmaster, he might be able to control Malkovich in the same fashion. Business, however, is good, but Lotte becomes obsessed with being Malkovich. Besides this story, there are many subplots and oddities along the lines of a 7 and a half floor in a building. This can be attributed to the odd, occasionally pretentious writing of Charlie Kaufman. Kaufman's ideas, which are wonderfully original and creative, are handled deftly by director Spike Jonze. Despite quite a few unlikeable characters, the ideas the film puts forth slides it through. Although, perhaps, the filmmakers should have made some solidly likeable character, or at least finished the film of nicely to support the joy I felt at the ideas presented. Still, this is a worthy film.
Being John Malkovich: ★★★1/2