Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze team up again after ’’Being John Malkovich’’. If you have seen ’’Being..’’ , I guess you are prepared for what these two have to offer. Charlie Kaufman, as a scriptwriter has made a huge mark and without a doubt is one of the creative and inventive ones around.
It is going to be very difficult to describe the plot. I hope it doesnt leave anybody in tangles. The movie is an ’’adaptation’’ of the book The orchid thief. The movie has as its central character, hold your breath, Charlie Kaufman (played by Nicolas Cage). Thats right, the star of the movie is its writer. Now Charlie is trying to adapt the book ’’The orchid thief’’ into a movie. The novel is an offbeat book. The author of the book, Susan Orlean is played by Meryl Streep. The book revolves around a flower breeder John (played by Chris Cooper). Fascinated by his passion for orchids, Susan decides to write a book revolving around him.
Now there are two tracks to the movie. One track follows Susan who interviews John and is in the process of writing the book. The other track shows Charlie trying to adapt the book into a movie. Now the structure of the novel makes it very difficult to adapt. But he is adamant. He wants to write movies about flowers. He is an introvert with severe personality problems. He is balding and has a paunch and is very awkward with women. Add to all this the problems he is facing with adapting the novel! Charlie has a twin Donald who is suave and funny and has his ways with women. (In actual life Charlie kaufman does not have a twin). The conversation between Charlie and Donald alternates between funny and sarcastic. Donald too wants to try his hands on scriptwriting! Charlie does finally succeed in coming up with a script for the movie on orchids which has (guess who is the star?), Charlie himself! This reminds me of one scene of Being John Malkovich where John Malkovich enters his own head through a portal!
How the movie gets itself out of this entanglements is seen to be believed. The last half hour is maddening to say the least. The movie, to sum up is about passion and obsession. This passion and obsession can be about anything. But life without passion for anything can get very monotonous and dry. One of the dialogue that stays on with you, is what Donald says to Charlie ’’You are what you love, and not what loves you’’
Performances by all the three Chris Cooper, Meryl Streep and Nicolas Cage are outstanding. Nicolas Cage does a very believable performance of an introvert, short on confidence man! All three have been nominated for oscars, what else can I say?