Spike Jonze makes strange behaviour seem quite reasonable, then shows what it costs other people. We value his ability to find sadness in a comic idea, though the clever plotting can get ahead of the characters.
Fi1m perspective
An actor's identity is something to borrow in Being John Malkovich (1999), and Spike Jonze directs as though this might be a practical arrangement. He does not keep pointing out how peculiar it is. The people involved want admiration, affection and some relief from being themselves. Those wants are easy to recognise, however strange the means of satisfying them. It is an excellent comedy, largely because Jonze trusts us to accept the idea and pay attention to the people.
Charlie Kaufman's screenplay gives him more to work with than celebrity envy. Questions of gender and desire complicate the wish to become somebody else, and Jonze lets those questions arise without stopping the comedy for a lesson. We found the film unexpectedly sad, because the selfish behaviour that makes these people funny also makes affection difficult for them. John Malkovich and Catherine Keener keep the people interesting when the plot grows busy, though we sometimes wish Jonze would linger on a feeling rather than hurry to the next complication.
Jonze's feature debut led to a second Kaufman collaboration, Adaptation. (2002), about screenwriting. It is worth being precise about what the director brings to that partnership, since the elaborate premises can attract most of the attention. In Being John Malkovich, he keeps the tone steady as the same behaviour becomes both funny and hurtful. There is no awkward pause while the film asks to be taken seriously, and no need to make its selfish people more agreeable.
With Where the Wild Things Are (2009), co-written with Dave Eggers, and Her (2013), which he wrote himself, Jonze moved beyond the Kaufman partnership. One adapts a children's book; the other is a romance about artificial intelligence. That move towards romance makes sense for a director whose debut was already so concerned with the difficulty of finding affection. Start with Being John Malkovich, and let its complications arrive without advance explanation.
Biography
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Born Adam Spiegel on 22 October 1969 in Rockville, Maryland, he began his career in skateboarding videos and music videos before moving into feature films.
He made his directorial debut with Being John Malkovich (1999), written by Charlie Kaufman. The pair later collaborated on Adaptation. (2002). Jonze directed Where the Wild Things Are (2009) and co-created the MTV series Jackass, on which he also worked as a writer and producer. He appeared as Conrad Vig in Three Kings (1999).
Jonze co-founded Directors Label with Chris Cunningham and Michel Gondry. He won an Academy Award for the screenplay of Her (2013).
