Being John Malkovich (1999)

Regista:

Spike Jonze

Sceneggiatore (WGA):

Charlie Kaufman (written by)

Data di uscita:

24 novembre 1999 (Puerto Rico)

Genere:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Slogan:

Ever wanted to be someone else? Now you can.

Plot:

A puppeteer discovers a portal that leads literally into the head of the movie star, John Malkovich.

Plot Keywords:

No Opening Credits | Underwater Scene | Actor Playing Himself | Soul Transference | Chrysler Building New York

Premi:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 45 wins & 48 nominations

Recensioni degli utenti:

Insanely brilliant and brilliantly insane.

Cast

John Cusack	...	Craig Schwartz
Cameron Diaz	...	Lotte Schwartz
Ned Bellamy	...	Derek Mantini
Eric Weinstein	...	Father at Puppet Show
Madison Lanc	...	Daughter at Puppet Show
Octavia Spencer	...	Woman in Elevator (as Octavia L. Spencer)
Mary Kay Place	...	Floris
Orson Bean	...	Dr. Lester
Catherine Keener	...	Maxine Lund
K.K. Dodds	...	Wendy
Reginald C. Hayes	...	Don (as Reggie Hayes)
Byrne Piven	...	Captain Mertin
Judith Wetzell	...	Tiny Woman
John Malkovich	...	John Horatio Malkovich
Kevin Carroll	...	Cab Driver

Alias:

Essere John Malkovich (Italy) [it]

Durata:

112 min | Canada:113 min

Nazionalità:

USA

Lingua:

Inglese

Colore:

Colore (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sonoro:

Dolby Digital

Divieti:

Singapore:R(A) | Portugal:M/16 | Brazil:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KT | Canada:14A | Canada:G (Québec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:M | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #36965) | Norway:11 | Iceland:L (original rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating)

Luoghi delle riprese:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Gramercy Pictures

Curiosità:

The original script has Kevin Bacon in place of 'Charlie Sheen' , as Malkovich's actor friend.

Errori:

Continuity: When Elijah the chimp lets Lotte out of the cage, he jumps out leaving the checked blanket all messed up. On the last shot of the scene the blanket is straightened out.

Citazioni:

[first lines]
Lotte Schwartz: Craig, honey, it's time for bed.
[fade out and in]
Orrin Hatch the bird: Craig, honey, time to get up, Craig, honey, time to get up, Craig, honey, time to get up, Craig, honey, time to get up,
Craig Schwartz: Lotte...
Lotte Schwartz: I'm sorry. I didn't know Orrin Hatch was out of his cage.

Movie Connections:

Citato in Less Like Me (2004)

Colonna sonora:

Malkovich Malkovich Lounge Music

Insanely brilliant and brilliantly insane.

All hail Spike Jonze for he is a genius. Not content with being the undisputed king of music videos, he's set his sights on full-length-feature-films. One might imagine that the often surreal, always innovative humour of his short music promos might not transfer across to a much longer production – like hell. ‘Being John Malkovich' is a fresh exciting stroke of genius.

John Cusack is Craig Schwartz, an unemployed puppeteer looser guy. In order to earn a living he is forced to find himself a regular job, only it soon becomes apparent that regular it is not. Working as a filing clerk on floor seven and a half, Craig stumbles across a portal into John Malkovich's head. No, really, that's what happens. Anyway, he turns this into a business venture with help from the beautiful Maxine (Catherine Keener), whom he lusts after. Maxine is more interested, however, in his wife, Lotte (Diaz, like you've never seen her before) but only when she's being John Malkovich.

Don't worry if this all sounds a little strange to you, it should do, it's probably the most surreal film ever made. I obviously can't give all the credit for this to director Spike Jonze; Charlie Kaufman is the genius that wrote this insanity. He's the most acutely imaginative and ingenious man of our time.

With such a fantastic cast the acting is of course superb; everyone's brilliant, especially Malkovich himself. Well obviously, you say, he's playing himself – yes, but he's also playing himself being played by an increasingly psychotic puppeteer.

Monkey flash backs and a restaurant full of Malkoviches are highlights of the insanely brilliant and brilliantly insane movie. If you thought that Spike Jonez could never top the Daft Punk talking dog video, you have never been so wrong in your life.

10/10