films of charlie kaufman

I kept hearing about this script called "Being John Malkovich." My only reaction was one syllable... and three letters long.

"Huh?" So I was living in L.A. over a decade ago, and I kept hearing about this script called "Being John Malkovich." My only reaction was one syllable... and three letters long.

"Huh?"

And then I read it.

The adage about judging a book by its cover? Sometimes the same holds true for a screenplay and its logline. Take, for example, "Risky Business;" at first glance, the story of a kid who, while his parents are out of town, turns his home into a whorehouse could be dismissed as a broad -- and all too-typical -- '80's comedy. But given the Paul Brickman treatment (whatever happened to that guy?) complete with surreal Tangerine Dream music, amazing visual imagery, and a potent (and timely) merging of thematic tissue like sex, risk, and enterprise, and you have the makings of a classic.

Such is the case with Malkovich. Because where most writers end at "quirky," Kaufman picks up with "existential." It's not enough to be situationally clever, to give the viewer a clever conceit and well-placed bit of stunt-casting (actually, two if you count Charlie Sheen's inspired turn as Malkovich's best friend). No, Kaufman's going to use this actor's head as a portal into exploring everything from vanity and recognition to how we are born and reborn through the creative process. I spent hours upon hours dwelling on the film's final image (by the way, the first time a film ended and, without the benefit of blooper reels, the entire audience remained in its seats while the closing credits played) -- the baby floating in the amniotic sac of chlorinated pool water... unforgettable.