journal features
movie reviews
photo of the day

movie review - Being John Malkovich

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Toronto, 1999.11.19

This is a movie in which a wretched puppeteer discovers a strange gateway that allows you to experience the life of John Malkovich, the actor. The note-perfect comedic tone is sustained throughout, as is the sense of desperation for our obsessive .. hero. Several of the characters are profoundly impacted by their experience in the portal that lets them experience being John Malkovich for a time. Our puppeteer? Irreversibly so.

I liked the insane plot, the characters, the dialog, and as mentioned the distinctive tone this thing pulls off. I thought that even when they're treating each other badly, the characters at least are being realistic and with good reason at least in-movie. This film is genius. A favorite. Strongly recommended.

rand()m quote

The secret to being boring is to tell everything.

—Voltaire