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Movies / On DVD / Being John Malkovich
Being John Malkovich

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Being John Malkovich (1999)

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Reviews Counted:26

Fresh:24

Rotten:2

Average Rating:7.7/10

Consensus: Being John Malkovich is both funny and smart, featuring a highly original script.

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Original is far too understated a term to describe this picture, brought to you by the surreal, twisted minds of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and actor-director Jonze. The story concerns a... Original is far too understated a term to describe this picture, brought to you by the surreal, twisted minds of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and actor-director Jonze. The story concerns a puppeteer, Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), who discovers his office has a secret portal that leads directly into the brain of one of America's most popular actors, John Malkovich (Malkovich himself, in a hilariously self-mocking appearance). When the journey ends fifteen minutes later, the participant is spewed onto the side of the New Jersey Turnpike. Schwartz uses his discovery as a way to get closer to fellow co-worker Maxine (the always sexy Catherine Keener). Together, the pair form JM, INC., which allows ordinary citizens to join in on the fun for $200 a pop. But when Craig's wife Lotte (a homely Cameron Diaz), as Malkovich, is seduced by Maxine, things begin to unfurl at an even more outrageous pace. Sound confusing? Thanks to Spike Jonze's grounded direction, it isn't. The result is one of the decade's most original films. [More]

Starring: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich

Starring: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich, Orson Bean, Mary Kay Place, W. Earl Brown

Director: Spike Jonze

Director: Spike Jonze
Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman
Producer: Steve Golin, Sandy Stern, Michael Stipe, Vincent Landay
Composer: Carter Burwell

[See More Credits]

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Release:

May 2, 2000

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Being John Malkovich

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Devilishly inventive and so far out there it's almost off the scale.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/17/08
David Rooney
David Rooney
Variety
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This outrageous comic fantasy may not sustain its brilliance throughout its 112 minutes, but it keeps cooking for so much of that time that I don't have many complaints.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
02/08/08
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
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By the time the tunnel worthy of the likes of Gulliver and Alice becomes a freeway clogged with bit players, a big chill has descended on all the characters.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment 1 Comment
04/27/07
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
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It is hard to mix moods -- the film is manic, subtle, comic and vaguely sad -- but [Jonze] does it masterfully.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Jeff Millar
Jeff Millar
Houston Chronicle
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It's clever, witty, dark and, most importantly, unwaveringly bizarre.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
11/06/02
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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It's tremendously entertaining, and probably worthy of repeat viewings.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
06/18/02
Edward Guthmann
Edward Guthmann
San Francisco Chronicle
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Wonderfully inventive, wickedly funny, and thoughtful enough to keep your mind on full alert, it's a square peg in the round world of genre films.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
03/19/02
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
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A hellacious ride.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Andrew O'Hehir
Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com
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I don't know how a movie this original got made today, but thank God for wonderful aberrations.

comment Comment
01/01/00
David Ansen
David Ansen
Newsweek
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Full of creativity.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
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Different from anything that came before it.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
Film.com
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Surreal to the point of poeticism.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Gemma Files
Gemma Files
Film.com
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Highly original script.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
01/01/00
J. Hoberman
J. Hoberman
Village Voice
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Unlike most comedies, which go for laughs without worrying about depth, Being John Malkovich has both.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
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Mr. Jonze's film, with a terrific original screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, is not the first to explore the prospect of being able to sneak into the mind of another person. But Mr. Jonze's version is definitely the most fun.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
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Being John Malkovich is more than just the latest cool, smart, funny movie. It jumps off the screen with the kind of freshness, originality, and light-handed stranglehold on the Zeitgeist that moves movies forward.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Jay Carr
Jay Carr
Boston Globe
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Cusack and Diaz are adorable schlumps.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
01/01/00
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday
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It may not be clear just what that means, but like the rest of the Malkovich experience it's a lot of fun going down.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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Being John Malkovich, which contains not a frame of extraneous footage, is more than a must-see movie: It's a must - see - more - than - once event.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post
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A supremely, almost effortlessly inventive and hilarious experience.

Full Review Source: Mr. Showbiz | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Atkinson
Michael Atkinson
Mr. Showbiz
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Latest News for Being John Malkovich

December 07, 2009: Exclusive: The World of Where the Wild Things Are
It has taken Being John Malkovich and Adaptation director Spike Jonze more than five years to bring Where the Wild Things Are to the big screen. Maurice Sendak, the writer and... More...

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