Oy. Where to begin?
Some stray thoughts jumbled in my head:
self-indulgent, not intelligent enough to support the degree to which it is pretentious, tedious, unfunny, solipsistic (and yes, I know that's part of the "joke" but it's not funny, just dull), empty-headed, gimmicky, Nicholas Cage?????, "insider"-y, lazy. In many ways, I think "Adaptation" feels like a bad "Saturday Night Live" sketch stretched to 2 hours.
I understand the inside jokes, the ironic commentary on the Industry, the satire, the sarcasm, etc etc etc. I understand which parts of the film must be fantasy, which parts may be fantasy, etc etc. But there was just nothing there I cared about and I don't think any statement on the film business or writing being made had any substance to it. The whole thing felt thin and tired. It's not deep enough to be taken seriously, not over-the-top enough to be considered zany fun and doesn't have the emotional power to touch our souls. It doesn't even mix these elements. It's like a big cold pile of half-eaten mashed potatoes sitting on a dirty plate.
I must admit I admire Charlie Kaufman for having the chutzpah to present this script in lieu of the project he was hired to write and in getting a producer to pay him for it. But the entire premise seems little more than a schoolboyish trick of trying to get away with failing to write a paper by writing a paper about why you couldn't do the assigned paper -- and hoping it will prove a sufficently amusing ruse to charm your teacher into not failing you.
Mr. Kaufman seems to be trying to build a career on cute gimmicks. Sadly, this being Hollywood --- and America --- he will probably get away with it for years to come. Both with"Being John Malkovich" and with "Adaptation" the audiences seem to spend so much time being impressed by a mildly interesting premise that they don't bother to worry -- or even think -- about whether it's a premise that supports (or warrants) an entire feature film. The only real joke here is one that can only be enjoyed by Mr. Kaufman, who's gotten an Academy Award nomination for what should probably have been treated as a breach of contract.
The uselessness of the film notwithstanding, Chris Cooper gives a great performance and Meryl Steep does a very good job. Nicholas Cage overplays both of his parts and, frankly, creates a character that I think is completely unsympathetic (in other words, he does his usual work.) Does anyone really care by the end what happens to him or to his brother? In the last 15 minutes of the movie, my thinking was, "I think what should happen next is whatever will get this movie ended the quickest."
In terms of awards: Best Scam. (And I admit to being frustrated by the fact that Mr. Kaufman would probably be happy with that.)
Some stray thoughts jumbled in my head:
self-indulgent, not intelligent enough to support the degree to which it is pretentious, tedious, unfunny, solipsistic (and yes, I know that's part of the "joke" but it's not funny, just dull), empty-headed, gimmicky, Nicholas Cage?????, "insider"-y, lazy. In many ways, I think "Adaptation" feels like a bad "Saturday Night Live" sketch stretched to 2 hours.
I understand the inside jokes, the ironic commentary on the Industry, the satire, the sarcasm, etc etc etc. I understand which parts of the film must be fantasy, which parts may be fantasy, etc etc. But there was just nothing there I cared about and I don't think any statement on the film business or writing being made had any substance to it. The whole thing felt thin and tired. It's not deep enough to be taken seriously, not over-the-top enough to be considered zany fun and doesn't have the emotional power to touch our souls. It doesn't even mix these elements. It's like a big cold pile of half-eaten mashed potatoes sitting on a dirty plate.
I must admit I admire Charlie Kaufman for having the chutzpah to present this script in lieu of the project he was hired to write and in getting a producer to pay him for it. But the entire premise seems little more than a schoolboyish trick of trying to get away with failing to write a paper by writing a paper about why you couldn't do the assigned paper -- and hoping it will prove a sufficently amusing ruse to charm your teacher into not failing you.
Mr. Kaufman seems to be trying to build a career on cute gimmicks. Sadly, this being Hollywood --- and America --- he will probably get away with it for years to come. Both with"Being John Malkovich" and with "Adaptation" the audiences seem to spend so much time being impressed by a mildly interesting premise that they don't bother to worry -- or even think -- about whether it's a premise that supports (or warrants) an entire feature film. The only real joke here is one that can only be enjoyed by Mr. Kaufman, who's gotten an Academy Award nomination for what should probably have been treated as a breach of contract.
The uselessness of the film notwithstanding, Chris Cooper gives a great performance and Meryl Steep does a very good job. Nicholas Cage overplays both of his parts and, frankly, creates a character that I think is completely unsympathetic (in other words, he does his usual work.) Does anyone really care by the end what happens to him or to his brother? In the last 15 minutes of the movie, my thinking was, "I think what should happen next is whatever will get this movie ended the quickest."
In terms of awards: Best Scam. (And I admit to being frustrated by the fact that Mr. Kaufman would probably be happy with that.)