Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) is a screenwriter with a wild imagination and a nervous disposition. He is always in his head, worrying. His brother, Donald, however, approaches life with innocent ambition. He embraces the tried and true methods of screenwriting, whereas Charlie prefers to blaze new trails.
This film was written by the real Charlie Kaufman, and he is indeed an imaginative screenwriter. For example, he wrote "Being John Malkovich", which is referenced in this film. The Charlie Kaufman character is trying to write an adaptation of a book called "The Orchid Thief", which is about the book's author, who wrote about an unusual man with bold plans to steal wild orchids. The script skips between the stories of the man, the author, and Charlie. And it jumps from one time period to another. Fortunately, these jumps are made clear in the film.
Cage gives two of his finest performances. Streep plays the author, Susan Orlean, with convincing emotions; Charlie's depiction of her is somewhat complicated. And Chris Cooper creates the vibrant character that is John Laroche, the orchid thief.
The film is meta and cleverly layered. Brother Donald helps Charlie write his screenplay in the end, and from that moment, the film turns into a more conventional Hollywood film, a tense drama. Except that it really turns into a comedy, because now Donald's sensibilities are determining where the story goes, and the viewer knows that. The appearance of an alligator in the chase scene, which might have been a groaner, now becomes the Deus ex Reptilia that is a comedy gem.
Somehow the story really is about some things more profound: like wanting things passionately. And how to get along in the world.
High marks for the complexity, the messages, and especially the imagination involved in constructing the plot.
This film was written by the real Charlie Kaufman, and he is indeed an imaginative screenwriter. For example, he wrote "Being John Malkovich", which is referenced in this film. The Charlie Kaufman character is trying to write an adaptation of a book called "The Orchid Thief", which is about the book's author, who wrote about an unusual man with bold plans to steal wild orchids. The script skips between the stories of the man, the author, and Charlie. And it jumps from one time period to another. Fortunately, these jumps are made clear in the film.
Cage gives two of his finest performances. Streep plays the author, Susan Orlean, with convincing emotions; Charlie's depiction of her is somewhat complicated. And Chris Cooper creates the vibrant character that is John Laroche, the orchid thief.
The film is meta and cleverly layered. Brother Donald helps Charlie write his screenplay in the end, and from that moment, the film turns into a more conventional Hollywood film, a tense drama. Except that it really turns into a comedy, because now Donald's sensibilities are determining where the story goes, and the viewer knows that. The appearance of an alligator in the chase scene, which might have been a groaner, now becomes the Deus ex Reptilia that is a comedy gem.
Somehow the story really is about some things more profound: like wanting things passionately. And how to get along in the world.
High marks for the complexity, the messages, and especially the imagination involved in constructing the plot.