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ADAPTATION

I never saw Being John Malkovich which I have to believe is supposed to be a bad thing. I mean, that movie got a lot of praise for director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman. But I never saw it…it looked so… weird.
The night before seeing Adaptation, I rented Human Nature, also written by Kaufman. It too was weird, but I wanted to see it, especially because I like Rhys Ifans, and most especially because it promised at least glimpses at a nude Patricia Arquette. (I’ve dug her since I saw her get her arm pit licked in David O’Russell’s Flirting With Disaster.) Anyway, Human Nature was pretty cool. And it held a pleasant surprise for me…it also featured Miranda Otto, who impressed me much in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS.
Anyway, David O’Russell also directed Three Kings, which featured Spike Jonez, the director of Adaptation.
Don’t you love the way that all came together in a perdy lil’ bow?

So anyway, when I saw PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, I really related with Adam Sandler’s character, but I hated the movie.
Well, in Adaptation, Nicolas Cage plays two characters, twin brothers, one of which is a fictional version of Charlie Kaufman himself, also called by that name in the film.
I really related to his character a lot too, probably even more than Sandler’s.
Actually, I probably feel most like an amalgam of both, but really, I digress…

OK, so here’s where it gets weird. I don’t really research movies. I aint no real critic. I mean, hell, if you wanna read a real critic go check out Joe Bob Briggs or something.
Me? I just like movies, and I write about what I see.
So that explains why I dunno the real scoop behind Adaptation. I know it uses real characters in the movie, but I don’t know to what extent reality ends and fiction starts.
I would have to hope that most of the last 30 or 40 minutes is pure fiction.
Up to that point, I was absolutely loving this movie. It was well on it’s way to a solid A+, but then it all went yuckety-yuck yuck.
Bummer.

But there is no denying that Adaptation has a great cast, led formidably by Cage. Damn, this is one good actor. Not only does he pull off the fact that two very similar looking characters are played completely different, but he’s just amazing in each role, especially Charlie. Fucking A, if Charlie had a website in the film, it’d be even more dank and depressing than mine! Cage plays him so well, and that balding head, and chunky body. I don’t know where Cage’s method acting gave way to make up or special effects, but it’s perfect!

Meryl Streep plays author Susan Orlean. Needless to say, she’s really good too. I guess she always is, right? I mean you don’t become the most acclaimed actress working today by sucking, right? I was digging her a lot in the movie too, at least at first.

Chris Cooper may be the best kept secret in Hollywood today. I mean, he does get roles, like his amazing, scene stealing role in AMERICAN BEAUTY, but he’s not a household name, and damn it, he should be. At least he should be on top of everybody’s character actor’s list. Here’s he’s really, really good as a Florida flower specialist-type person. It was weird how much he reminded me of an old boss I had, right down to the missing teeth! (The boss used an artificial sectional bridge though.)

As much as I ended up not liking the ending of this film, I guess I would still recommend it to anybody who likes good acting, and anybody who likes "showbiz insider" type flicks. Like I said, I dunno how much of this is based on reality, but even if it’s almost all fiction, the good stuff almost overshadows the bad.

B

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