BEING JOHN MALKOVICH Reviewed 1/3/2000

Seen on New Years Eve (and the film stopped early on, our sole Y2K-blamed event). Directed by Spike Jonze (who was an actor in Three Kings). *Very* quirky, and strongly entertaining -- as with Three Kings, many unexpected events occur. You know the premise -- a portal allows you to experience 15 minutes of Being John Malkovich -- but getting to the premise, and then what they *do* with the premise, are both unexpected.

If you are an sf reader, you may remember a Robert A. Heinlein novel, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, which uses what proves to be the key idea in BJM, and hence the thing is derivative (in a science fiction sense). But that's an erudite carp. It's a great fun movie with outstanding performances by John Cusack (limited range but great within it), Cameron Diaz (a revelation, they manage to make her look plain), Orson Bean (whom Nancy spotted, to great credit), and Catherine Keener (whom most folks won't know but was in Living in Oblivion, a funny indy movie). Another good-see.

ã Copyright 2002 David Alexander Smith