Being John Malkovich

I watched this before my computer broke, and I didn't get around to posting it. It called to me like Romeo + Juliet, only this time the result was much more gratifying.Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is an unsuccessful puppeteer who lives in New York with his wife Lotte (Cameron Diaz) and her plethora of pets including a chimp and a parrot. After Lotte asks Craig to get a job, he begins working as a file clerk for LesterCorp, a curious business operating from floor 7 1/2 of a nondescript office building. The floor is so named because it is squeezed between floors 7 and 8, with the ceilings being so low that employees have to walk around bent over.While filing, Craig finds a small door hidden behind a filing cabinet. The door is a portal that leads into the mind of actor John Malkovich and allows whoever enters the portal to be a passive observer to whatever Malkovich happens to be doing for 15 minutes before spitting them out onto the New Jersey Turnpike. Craig quickly shares his discovery with co-worker Maxine and the two of them quickly decide to start a business allowing people to be John Malkovich for 15 minutes for $200 a trip. Maxine starts an affair with Malkovich when she discovers the high she gets from being able to sense when someone else is in Malkovich's head. During one of his trips, Craig discovers that he is able to control Malkovich because of his skills as a puppeteer and decides to try to use Malkovich's fame to launch his puppeteer career and in the process woo Maxine.
My Commentary: I know that the premise for this movie sounds weird, and it is really weird. But, I liked it. It was funny and creative and raises an interesting question. What if you really could be someone else? We've all made throw-away comments about how we wish we could be famous like some actor, or brilliant like some writer, but we never really expect that it could happen. Except for those Freaky Friday movies where some crazy switching thing happens, but in this movie, the people aren't switching lives with someone else. They are getting shipped to someone else's mind.
My favorite scene: When Malkovich follows Maxine with the help of a disguise consisting of an "I [heart] NY" baseball cap.

Rating: ****** (6 out of 10)

Oy Vey: Mamma Mia!

What do you get when you combine the musical stylings of ABBA, Meryl Streep, and middle-aged men have in common? Mamma Mia!


Sophie is getting married to the man of her dreams... Much to the chagrin of her mother, played by Meryl Streep. Donna will stop at nothing for her daughter's happiness. However, she could have never bargained for such a tall order: three of the skeletons in her closet are attending the wedding... As Sophie's could-be fathers!


My Commentary: I have to admit, my initial reaction to this film was, "NO WAY am I watching a musical with Pierce Brosnan! It goes against my religion!" Eventually, through the promise of laughter and mind-numbing hysteria, my roommate used her superior intelligence to get me into the theater. You may ask: Was there laughter? My reply: Heaven's yes!

I laughed so hard that I nearly cried. There were even moments of horror. Let me say, for the record, that it should be illegal for Pierce Brosnan to reveal his chest in public. Everyone in the theater grew noticeably uncomfortable. Just keep your darn shirt on!

And I'm making it known that any film with an impromptu wedding automatically receives no higher than a 6 for my rating. Seriously. It's beyond cheesy when someone yells, "Well, we've got the flowers, bridesmaids, and priest! Why don't WE get married instead???!!?" Not cool.

Rating: ***** (5 out of 10)

Interesting Parting Note: Mamma Mia! raked in about $400 million worldwide... Impressive.

Tiffany's Take on "Lars and the Real Girl"

Lars Lindstrom lives in the garage next to his childhood home, now owned by his brother’s growing family. He gently evades his sister-in-law’s efforts to visit the house and prefers to keep to himself. On the rare occasion that he does accept the invitation, Lars picks at his food and conversation between family members is (at best) forced. Connecting to his family, co-workers, and churchgoers seems like an impossible task for Lars.


Commentary: I believe that we learn about Lars’ large capacity to love. After suffering the physical loss of his mother and mental detachment of his father, Lars still possesses the most beautiful quality: childlike love. He learns to redefine love as a version that doesn’t involve a transactional give and take process. Lars allows himself to give love to Bianca, without receiving love in return.



Karin, Lars’ pregnant sister-in-law, has a profound impact upon Lars’ psyche. Throughout the film, I couldn’t help but notice that Lars was particularly uncomfortable whenever Karin approached him. His demeanor seemed to exude a frightened, little boy’s persona. Lars’ eyes would drift downwards; his voice would become even more quiet and stilted. He was scared that the pregnancy was dangerous and feared for Karin’s health.

Final Thoughts: Clearly, Lars is terrified that Karin’s pregnancy will cause physical harm. During a checkup with Bianca, he tells Dagmar that pregnancy is dangerous. He shies away from truly living life and his fears take new meaning as Gus and Karin expect their first child. His brother continues to create a life from himself, while Lars is left behind, again. After living through the trauma of his mother’s death and father’s neglect, I believe that Lars fears the same will happen to his unborn niece/nephew.

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Just for Laughs: Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny

I love Liam Lynch. I'm not a huge fan of Jack Black. To be honest, the only reason I wanted to see this movie was because Liam Lynch directed it. Tenacious D is a "mock rock" band formed by Kyle Gass and Jack Black.
The movie opens with a young Jack Black running away from home when his religious father scolds his rocking ways. Black migrates to Hollywood where he is confidant that he will form "the world's most awesome rock band". Soon after arriving, Black meets acoustic guitarist Kyle Gass and eagerly begs to be part of The Kyle Gass Project. After extensive "training" including cleaning the apartment, buying weed and a failed gig simulator, Black finds out that Gass is not the famous rocker that he seems to be, but is an unemployed street musician who's parents sent him money for rent.

The two become equals and decide to compete in an open mic contest, but they first need to write an epic song. While trying to write, the two find out the darkest secret of rock - The Pick of Destiny - a pick with supranatural abilities, carved by a wizard from Satan's chipped tooth. Tenacious D decide to go on a quest to steal it. The rest, as they say, is magical history.My Commentary: If you are easily offended, or if you really hate the F-word then it would not be a good idea for you to see this movie. Tenacious D's self proclaimation that they are the greatest rock band in the world and their rock opera style of telling a story kept me laughing through the whole movie. This is by no means an amazing film, but it cheers me up and provides a few laughs if you need them. Plus it was directed by Liam Lynch, which is reason enough for me to watch this movie. It also features cameos from Tim Robbins, Amy Poehler, Ben Stiller and best of all, Dave Grohl as Satan.
Rating: ***** (5 out of 10)

Pick of the Week: No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men follows Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), sheriff Ed Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) and Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) as they pursue and elude each other through the cities and back roads of Texas. The madness begins when Moss finds the aftermath of a drug deal gone bad and he decides to take an unattended satchel full of cash. Moss soon realizes his mistake when Chigurh, a hitman hired to find the missing satchel, comes after him in pursuit of the cash. Amazing cinematic action ensues as none of them are willing to give up or walk away.

My Commentary: A lot of people who I talk to get this movie mixed up with There Will Be Blood because they were both up for Oscars last year and both sounded like dark movies. To be honest, both movies are dark, but There Will Be Blood is much darker. The characters in No Country for Old Men provide much more of a balance. The three main characters reflect three types of people. There are people who are good (Sheriff Bell), people who are evil (Chigurh) and people who fall into a vague middle ground (Moss). I love this movie because the characters are very real and organic. Even the seemingly indestructable hitman, Chigurh, has to take a few hours out of the chase when he gets shot in the leg with a shotgun.

One of my favorite things about this movie is that even though Moss stumbled on this situation by accident, he is by no means the usual bumbling good guy who just barely gets out of whatever scrape he has gotten himself into. The guy knows how to defend himself and he is definately one smart cookie. Chigurh, however, is just absolutely terrifying. Sheriff Bell and Llewelyn Moss are needed to balance him out and keep the movie from being too over the top.

Go see this movie if for no other reason than because the Coen Brothers made it. That should be reason enough, really.

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)