Being John Malkovich

And now for something really completely different. John Cusack pulls all the strings as Craig Schwartz, an out-of-work puppeteer whose nimble fingers land him a job as a file clerk for the Lester Corporation. In his office on the 71/2 floor ("Low overhead," states his 105-year-old boss, played by venerable Orson Bean), Craig discovers--hidden behind a file cabinet--a portal that leads into the head of actor John Malkovich. He teams up with Maxine (indie film-fave Catherine Keener in her breakthrough, Oscar-nominated performance), his diamond-hard and dry-ice cold co-worker with whom he is obsessed, to sell tickets to people who want to become Malkovich for the proverbial 15 minutes (after which they are inexplicably tossed alongside the New Jersey Turnpike). Complicating matters is Craig's frumpy, pet-obsessed wife (a game Cameron Diaz), who becomes a rival for Maxine's affections, but only when she is inside Malkovich. And Malkovich himself (brave and brilliant in the role he was born to play) literally becomes Craig's puppet. Never mind what Craig calls "the metaphysical implications" of all this. Director Spike Jonze's surreal black comedy--nominated for four Academy Awards, but so deliriously offbeat and original you knew it wouldn't win any--is the year's most exhilarating joyride. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD/Blu-ray Review—May 22, 2012—Criterion, 113 min., R, DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD, and first on Blu-ray, 1999's Being John Malkovich sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 on Blu-ray. Extras include select scene commentary by filmmaker Michel Gondry, an “All Noncombatants Please Clear the Set” behind-the-scenes featurette by filmmaker Lance Bangs (34 min.), a conversation between star John Malkovich and humorist John Hodgman (28 min.), “Spike's Photos” with director Spike Jonze (16 min.), “An Intimate Portrait of the Art of Puppeteering” featurette (8 min.), two short films within the film (7 min. total), trailers, and a booklet featuring a conversation with Jonze and pop-culture critic Perkus Tooth. Bottom line: a welcome Blu-ray debut for a contemporary indie classic.]