Being John Malkovich
Celebrated film critic Roger Ebert named "Being John Malkovich" the best film of 1999. Thirteen years later and recently released on Blu-ray, It’s hard to disagree.
Providing the best performances of their careers, John Cusack plays a disheveled (but kind of hot) puppeteer married to an unrecognizable Cameron Diaz who discovers a portal that allows him to leap into the mind of actor John Malkovich.
The new, restored digital transfer Blu-ray edition was supervised by director Jonze. The most amazing visual effect in the Blu-ray is the stark Oz-like contrast in colors between the blah-hued world in which Cusack’s and Diaz’ characters exist and the vividly painted world when they are being John Malkovich.
Previously released twice on DVD, the Blu-ray edition features have been tweaked with additions and deletions. Still in place are the film’s trailer, 4 horrible TV spots, 2 features that appear in the film and a too-short feature on Phil Huber who provided the marionette work in the film.
There is a painful, although abridged, selected screen commentary by arrogant director Michael Gondry. Filmmaker Lance Bangs’ behind the scenes of making "Being John Malkovich" is a fascinating peek behind the curtain.
The closest we get to a commentary is the director showing and discussing photos he took during the shoot.
The best of the features is a new (November 2011) interview between humorist John Hodgman with John Malkovich himself. It’s a fascinating conversation with the actor about playing himself in a movie called "Being John Malkovich."
"Being John Malkovich"
Blu-ray, The Criterion Collection
$39.95
http://www.universalstudios.com/
