Adaptation
Neuroses and insecurities abound in this highly self-referential script from Charlie Kaufman and (fictitious) brother Donald.
Some spoilers below
Starring Nicolas Cage (twice), Tilda Swinton, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper, this intelligent and self-referential film casts a cold and clear light on the insecurities of a neurotic writer who is consumed by his sense of self-loathing, and who is seeking – through his writing – for a path that will lead him clear of his self-imposed unhappiness.
As Charlie struggles to make headway on a screenplay he has been asked to adapt from a novel, his personal insecurities are brought into sharp focus by his inability to progress in this endeavour, by his interactions with his would-be girlfriend Valerie (played by Tilda Swinton) and in his difficult relationship with his brother.
As Charlie tries flawed solution after flawed solution to climb out of his state of depression, his environment predictably prevents him from picking himself up, until he is finally forced into reluctant action in an attempt to salvage his script, his job, his relationship with his brother, and ultimately, his relationship with himself. Since the screenwriter is also called Charlie Kaufman, and there is no screenwriter called Donald Kaufman, insiders might want to read Charlie's observations of Donald as schitzophrenic form of self-analysis.
While slow-moving and uncomfortable in parts, Kaufman’s script tackles this patchwork of interconnected neuroses with intelligence and tact. By using the twins as caricatures of the neurotic and blissfully self-confident and placing them in a crucible, he manages to draw out sometimes painful insights, although the extreme caricature of the main protagonist sometimes leaves us wondering if we are supposed to laugh or cringe with embarrassment.
If you thought enlightenment was better than blissful ignorance, this film may change your mind, given how blissful the ignorance seems in comparison to the hateful self-examination Charlie inflicts upon himself.
Another strong theme in the film is the approach to screenwriting, and Robert McKee’s lectures and book are drawn upon to great effect to illustrate the difference between the brothers, one of whom, as the trailer puts it, “Writes like he lives: with great difficulty”, whereas the other "lives like he writes... with foolish abandon".
This film takes a while to get going, and reaches ambitiously for higher intellectual ground, and although it may have sacrificed the “edge of your seat” trick in favour of a less typical and more researched effect on the audience, it is safe to say that it succeeds in its ambitions and will stay with you for a while after you leave the theatre. We all will see a part of ourselves reflected in some aspect of Charlie’s neuroses, and in the end, the early signs of his release from his demons should leave the entire audience with a palpable – if perhaps bittersweet – sense of relief.
Adaptation - Internet Movie Database
Trailers from Apple.com
The Orchid Thief from Amazon.com, written by
Susan Orlean (
Amazon.co.uk)
Adaptation DVD - Amazon record
Official Site
Posted by nlvp at February 1, 2003 07:52 PM