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Brian Kerin A & E Editor In Adaptation, Spike Jonze's third film as a director, viewers are presented with a schizophrenic tale of a writer who writes a screenplay about writing a screenplay. And if that isn't enough to grasp, a balding and rather fat Nicholas Cage plays two simultaneous roles as real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his brother, Donald. Even more daunting, the story deals with the criminal activities involved in the illegal flower business.
Jonze, who started his career directing skateboard and music videos, was soon dubbed one of the most creative and innovative directors making films today. After the success of Malkovich, Jonze surprised everyone when he chose to help his old friends on MTV's Jackass crew by taking on directorial duties for Jackass: The Movie. However, fans of the Jonze and Kaufman team should be pleased, for their latest effort is once again filled with the pair's brand of quirky black humor that was seen in Malkovich. Adaptation starts out, strangely enough, on the set of Being John Malkovich as seen through the eyes of screenwriter Kaufman. Kaufman goes on an internal rant about loneliness, insecurity, despair and sexual frustration. The diatribe ends with the line, "Where did I come from?" This cuts to a visually stunning inception of the Earth sequence that covers everything from life's beginnings as single-celled organisms, to the extinction of the dinosaurs. This scene alone shows that Jonze was meant to make movies; the editing and presentation here were great and the scene was effective. Still, the first half of the movie is rather hard to follow. The story cuts continually back and forth between two arches. There is Kaufman and his struggles to try and figure out how he will adapt the novel, The Orchid Thief, about a woman who documented her time with a man who was arrested for stealing rare orchids from government land. And there is Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) three years earlier, who wrote the book after spending a fair amount of time with John Laroche (Chris Cooper). Laroche is the highlight of the film; his character is a wise-cracking, Southern-talking eccentric who lost his front teeth in a violent car accident that killed his mother. He is both repulsive and intriguing at the same time making him a wonderful character for Orlean's book and for Kaufman's screenplay. Although the subject may seem easy, Kaufman can't seem to get started. Adding to the pressure, Donald, Charlie's brother moves in and announces that he also wants to become a screenwriter. Donald, who is the exact opposite of his brother personality-wise, is the cause of much resentment as Charlie starts to notice that his brother shares none of his personality flaws and has no problem making friends, meeting girls or getting laid. Thirteen weeks pass, and the studio starts calling for Charlie to show them what he has finished.
From here the film takes some rather odd twists that send the film into an exciting climax that drastically affects all the characters involved. The plot is so intricately conceived, one can't help but wonder how such a new director was able to handle such a large task. Jonze weaves Adaptation together wonderfully with creative camera angles and unpredictable cut shots, and his direction of the actors makes the dialog fresh and amusing. The film also featured a couple of car-crash scenes that are so graphic I couldn't help cringing. Given that Jonze's last film had no action scenes like this, I think his work on Jackass might be an influence here. One misleading aspect of the film is that it was advertised as a light-hearted comedy, when in reality it is a sad look at loneliness, loss of passion and desire, and in the end, tragedy. Although, the film ends on a lighter note, the overall somber tone sticks. Those looking for an uplifting lighthearted film should search elsewhere, but for those who love films and want to see something creative and new: Adaptation is it. © 2003 Shoreline Community College™ |
