There are weird movies, and there are really, really weird movies — such as "Being John Malkovich."
In all honesty, no amount of ink can do justice to — or accurately describe — the plot of this bizarre comic fantasy, which marks the feature filmmaking debut of acclaimed music-video director Spike Jonze.
Suffice to say that it almost makes Terry Gilliam movies seem tame by comparison. Now that implies that "Being John Malkovich" is doomed to become a cult favorite, like the majority of Gilliam's works. But there's something so oddly appealing, about this movie that it could catch on with a wider audience of discerning moviegoers.
Also, it helps that "Being John Malkovich" features some name actors in its cast, including John Cusack, Cameron Diaz and the title actor — or to be more accurate, the good sport — who gives the film its impetus.
Cusack (at his grungiest here) stars as Craig Schwartz, a street performer whose artsy puppet shows have gotten him more bloody noses than acclaim or cash. Worse, he's quickly running out of money and patience with his wife, Lotte (an even-frumpier Cameron Diaz), a pet store employee who literally brings her work home with her.
So Craig reluctantly enters the job market. However, he finds that his quick-fingered talents qualify him for only one position, that of file clerk. Fortunately, he gets work at LesterCorp., a company located "between floors" in a Manhattan sky rise.
There, he is surprised to find renewed passion when he meets Maxine (Catherine Keener), a fellow employee who doesn't seem very interested in her nebbishy co-worker.
Even more startling is his discovery of a tiny doorway, which leads into the mind of John Malkovich, allowing Craig to see things from the actor's perspective.
Admittedly, this is one of the most bizarre premises in recent cinematic history. And that's only the setup for the story — there are a lot more delightful plot curveballs, which Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman keep throwing at audiences.
However, the filmmakers can't sustain the constant pace of quirkiness — the film really starts to run out of steam in the second half. And that's when the oddball casting helps.
Diaz and Keener are both wonderful at playing against type, and both Cusack and Orson Bean, playing Craig's secretive boss, are perfectly eccentric.
But it's Malkovich who seems to be having the most fun.