Being John Malkovich
Craig Schwartz, a puppeteer and Lotte Schwartz (a pet shop clerk and animal lover), are simply going through the motions in their marital life. Craig enjoys his job because it lets him inhabit other people’s skins, despite not making a living from puppeteering. When he’s forced to accept a position as a filing clerk at the off-kilter LesterCorp on the 7 1/2-foot high Manhattan office tower, Craig realizes that he can actually inhabit other people’s skins. Craig discovers a secret door hidden behind one of his filing cabinets. It is John Malkovich’s portal to John Malkovich. The visit lasts for fifteen minutes, after which the person will be thrown into a ditch near the New Jersey Turnpike. Craig finds it fascinating to see the significance of this discovery. Lotte is able to evaluate herself after her trips through the portal. Maxine Lund (a Craig coworker) tells Craig about the portal because she is attracted and believes that the portal is a way to make money. He sells Malkovich’s mind-reading services after work for $200 per visit. Lotte, Craig and Maxine discover that any person who enters the portal can alter Malkovich’s mind. Maxine falls in love with the composite after this experience. The ability to control Malkovich’s thoughts begs the question about the ultimate psychedelic experience for Malkovich, who starts to sense that something is wrong in the world. –Huggo
Director: Spike Jonze
Actors: Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, Charlie Sheen, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Mary Kay Place, Orson Bean
Country: United States
