Synopses & Reviews
What do you get when a down-on-his-heels puppeteer working as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a Manhattan office building discovers a secret portal into the brain of John Malkovich? Hilarity, drama, and perhaps the most unique film of the 90s. Being John Malkovich, which stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz and, of course, John Malkovich as himself, is Charlie Kaufman's screenwriting debut. The movie premiered to universal acclaim and is guaranteed to become a classic of modern cinema.
Charlie Kaufman is also the scriptwriter for Adaptation.
In this film, a down-on-his-heels puppeteer working as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a New York City office building discovers a secret portal leading directly into the consciousness of actor John Malkovich. Deeply hilarious, dramatically compelling, and deliciously off-beat, Being John Malkovich was perhaps the most unique American movie of the 1990s. It drew countless rave reviews--especially for its jubilantly inventive script, the remarkable debut of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.
A wonderfully demented fantasia . . . inspired madness . . . a metaphysical journey about identity, gender, creativity, and the urge to transform oneself, Being John Malkovich looks as if it were hatched by Terry Gilliam or Lewis Carroll on drugs.--Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
A wonderfully demented fantasia . . . inspired madness . . . a metaphysical journey about identity, gender, creativity, and the urge to transform oneself, Being John Malkovich looks as if it were hatched by Terry Gilliam or Lewis Carroll on drugs.--Edward Guthmann, The San Francisco Chronicle
A clever and outrageous piece of whimsical fantasy that is unique, unpredictable, and more than a little strange. Kaufman . . . has a truly singular imagination. --Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times
More than just the latest cool, smart, funny movie. It jumps off the screen with . . . freshness, originality and a] light-handed stranglehold on the Zeitgeist.--Jay Carr, The Boston Globe
Every once in a long, long while a movie comes along that is like no other. A movie that creates a new world for us and uses it to produce wonderful things.--Roger Ebert, Chicago-Sun Times
With just a hundred people like, or trying to be, John Malkovich, America could be an inhabitable republic again.--David Thomon, Independent on Sunday
Review
"[A] contemporary fun-house ride that turns identity inside out." The New York Times
Synopsis
Kaufman's screenwriting debut follows a file clerk as he discovers a secret portal into the brain of actor John Malkovich.
Synopsis
Ever wanted to be someone else? Specifically, have you ever wished to be the Oscar-nominated star of
Dangerous Liaisons,
The Sheltering Sky,
Portrait of a Lady and
Con Air? Well, now you can explore this fantasy in Charlie Kaufman's screenplay for the hit comedy directed by Spike Jonze.
Craig Schwartz is nearing the end of his string. A gifted street-puppeteer, he nevertheless finds that New York City has little use, or indeed tolerance, for his special talents. Worse, his ten-year marriage to Lotte, a workaholic pet-store employee, has turned stale. Then the nimble-fingered Craig lands a job as a filing clerk in an office building. There, he meets the bored, beautiful Maxine, but his attempts to woo her are smartly rebuffed. Rejected and dejected, Craig retreats into his work. One night, rummaging behind a filing cabinet, he comes upon a hidden passageway that leads straight into the mind of John Malkovich! The hapless Malkovich is not consulted, and quickly finds his body becoming a battleground as feuding lovers, not to mention paying customers, start taking turns to see the world through his eyes.
This volume includes an introduction by Charlie Kaufman, in which he explains the genesis and gestation of this extraordinary, twisted and utterly hilarious fiction.
Synopsis
What do you get when a down-on-his-heels puppeteer working as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a Manhattan office building discovers a secret portal into the brain of John Malkovich? Hilarity, drama, and perhaps the most unique film of the 90s.
Being John Malkovich, which stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz and, of course, John Malkovich as himself, is Charlie Kaufman's screenwriting debut. The movie premiered to universal acclaim and is guaranteed to become a classic of modern cinema.
About the Author
Charlie Kaufman is also the scriptwriter for
Adaptation.