Review of Being John Malkovich (1999) by Marakai — 16 Sep 2020

It’s fair to say that when Being John Malkovich was released in 1999, very few people were even aware of the creative mind of Charlie Kaufman. In fact, he’d only really been working as a writer on Tv shows with Malkovich being his first feature film screenplay.

When it hit, it was regarded as the most daringly original film of the year with a concept so bizarre that it’s a wonder that it was even green-lit for production in the first place. Thankfully, director Spike Jonze had the chutzpah to take it on and in doing so, introduced us to one of cinema’s truly subversive talents.

Kaufman is a one-of-kind writer and Being John Malkovich alone is testament to his warped and offbeat imagination. It’s darkly humorous and genuinely unique in its inventiveness but moreover, it has an intellectual depth that raises it beyond a mere gimmick.

Fair play to John Malkovich himself for being a good sport throughout and it also boasts some career best work from John Cusack, Cameron Diaz and, especially, the wonderful Catherine Keener. Ultimately, though, this film put both Jonze and Kaufman on the map and it’s a place they both rightfully deserve.