#ByrnePiven

[doomonfilm]

Favorites : Being John Malkovich (1999)

The late 1990′s were a very important time in defining me as a deep film fan and aspiring filmmaker.  Not only did I discover a back catalog of deeply meaningful and wholly influential films, the Hollywood mainstream was in a period reminiscent of the 1970′s where independents and creatives had much more power and influence.  Scores of great films were produced from both periods, but one film, a debut for both writer and director, made me realize how truly weird and wonderful the possibilities could be, and that film was Being John Malkovich. 

Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is an unemployed puppeteer.  His marriage to animal enthusiast Lotte (Cameron Diaz) leaves him unfulfilled, and his struggles as a street performing puppeteer further exacerbate those feelings.  In a last ditch effort to get his life together, he answers a want-ad for a job at LesterCorp, located on the 7 1⁄2 floor of the Mertin-Flemmer building.  The floor itself is full of intrigue, as are the characters he meets : Floris (Mary Kay Place), a receptionist with hearing problems and a spicy attitude; Dr. Lester (Orson Bean), an eccentric old man who heads LesterCorp; and, chief among them, Maxine Lund (Catherine Keener), a mysterious and beautiful woman that Craig is immediately attracted to, but who shows 0 interest in return.  While filing papers, Craig discovers a mysterious door behind some filing cabinets that covers an odd looking portal... one in which the person who traverses it ends up in the head of John Malkovich (John Malkovich) for approximately fifteen minutes before being dumped on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike.  Amazed and confused, Craig reaches out to Maxine about his discovery, which the two immediately begin to exploit for financial and personal gain, all of which is at the expense of Malkovich.  As revelation after revelation occurs, the stakes raise to drastic, absurdist levels, eventually cascading in a drastic series of events that call for drastic measures for all parties involved in order to protect the secrets unearthed and the survival of those who depend on them 

Director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman, both making their feature film debut on this project, came through to the scene like a true force of nature.  Earmarks of Kaufman’s smart, surreal approach to comedy and drama are all over the writing and the narrative through-lines, from obscure professions, to seemingly intangible goals becoming reality, even down to the true nature of self (more on that later).  His approach to the role of protagonist and antagonist is fluid and transcendent, instantly informing legions of creators that would follow in the wake of this film.  Most every character, to some degree, plays both roles, and each go through extremely massive revelations, thus changing their characters into completely different people by the end of the film.

As a study on identity, the film goes deep on several sides of the discussion.  The main focuses are the nature of true self and trans-identity (the film was well ahead of the curve on that one).  There are also tangents into the study of celebrity, and even deep philosophical insight into what makes a man at his core, revealed via a hilariously surreal journey by John Malkovich through his own portal.  Even Elijah the chimp has a chance at self-actualization and identity in regards to his heroic effort of rescuing Lotte from captivity, triggered by a traumatic memory.  The film dives deeper into the surreal (and again, well ahead of the curve) by pulling the beautifully meta move of having Charlie Sheen be the voice of reason  and Malkovich’s confidant through the mind-scrambling madness.  The crushing final shots of Craig captured forever in Emily, the daughter of the incredibly convoluted love pentagon, unable to control her and unable to live, are some of the deepest coffin nails ever driven into a study on identity.

The puppet analogy weaved into the main character’s story arc is a deceptively simple device used brilliantly.  At first, it solidifies the quirky, outsider nature of Craig, and provides instant validation in regards to his struggles with Maxine.  As he falls deeper for her, we see his attempts at control as he adds her to his gallery of puppets, using these tools to sharpen his approaches towards her.  As desperation sets in, and he realizes he’s been pushed out of the possibility for love from anyone in the arrangement, he takes desperate measures, eventually realizing an ability to control Malkovich as if he were a body-sized puppet, which finally sparks a connection between himself and Maxine.  As the two of them advance, they puppet Malkovich’s stardom in tandem to give Craig a sense of fulfillment as a star puppeteer via control of Malkovich, while simultaneously playing puppet master to a large section of popular culture by creating a puppeteer renaissance.  As previously mentioned, his final prison is that of a master of control, stuck inside a vessel he has no control of.

Spike Jonze, already known for his work in the realm of skateboard videos, music videos and Jackass, stepped onto the scene like a seasoned veteran with is work in Being John Malkovich.  He takes plenty of opportunities to have fun with shot composition, continuously placing John Cusack in shots with objects seemingly sprouting out of his head.  The choice to make the majority of the film take place in an office that is half the height of a normal office is a stroke of absurd genius.  Hiding John Cusack and Cameron Diaz under layers of dirt and filth makes the viewer instantly sympathetic to their plight, and thus gives us full investment as they stride to advance to the simple aesthetic, and thus symbolically higher, levels of those in the film who look film-appropriate.  The use of unique lenses and multiple forms of media help make the experience much more immersive than the average film. 

John Cusack was riding a career peak at this time, and this film only further solidified his value as a top commodity... his humor is on point, he pulls at the viewer’s heartstrings through his struggles, and you feel both his appreciation at mastering his destiny, and the soul crushing defeat of losing it all.  Cameron Diaz embraced an opportunity to play against type, taking her usually light whimsical nature and trading it in for a deeply compassionate performance, making her the emotional center of the film.   Catherine Keener had already been on the scene for over a decade, but this was the film that made her career, with her biting wit, smoldering sex appeal and commanding presence all on full display.  John Malkovich achieved instant cult status by showing the amazing ability to not only realistically portray himself, but portray John Cusack portraying himself.  Mary Kay Place and Orson Bean both turn in memorably quirky performances.  Wonderful appearances by Charlie Sheen, Spike Jonze (blink and you’ll miss him), and a very early appearance from a pre-stardom Octavia Spencer all bring smiles to my face.

One of these days, I would love to present a double feature of Being John Malkovich and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Maybe one Valentine’s Day in the near future, if I’m lucky.  

[beatrixiv]

Rhonda Saville Barr Model @jaynekennedyoverton @anjelicasusanhuston @krisjenner @queenelizabethiiuk @byrnepiven @jeremypiven @piventheatreworkshop @jaseewasee @theangelagriffin @bbc @itv @freeatlasttv @all3media #TheMillsBrothers #DeanMartin @joannewoodwards @chicago_reader @reaganlibrary40 @ronniereagan @thecartercenter @clintonfoundation @ashleyjensenfan @eve_myles @queenelizabethiiuk (at Piven Theatre Workshop) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaidEYwPeBT/?utm_medium=tumblr