For as much as I loved loved LOVED ETERNAL SUNSHINE and MALKOVICH, I have to say that ADAPTATION left me stone cold. It just felt TOO self-consciously clever, TOO meta, too much like Kaufman writing himself and his screenplay in knots just to prove that he could, and that he was more interested in making a treatise on Process than an entertaining Story. And his intentional third-act collapse, rather than just pointing out the flaws of formulaic screenplays as I'm sure he intended to do, just confirmed for me that, without heart, his stories can be mighty airless. I felt the same way about CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, although to hear Kaufman tell the tale, he wasn't happy with the way that movie turned out, either, because of all the changes Clooney made to the script.
I will say that I enjoyed Meryl Streep in ADAPTATION, though.
Yeah. I think I agree with you. There were moments, though, with his relentless self-loathing and missed moments that my own discomfort level gave the story a bit more oomph than it might have for other people.
And, yes. I almost wrote something about Streep, because, well, she's just wonderful. Like, she's SOOOOO Meryl Streep, but she's also so very good at what she does. The dial tone bit was awesomely funny.
Although I can't disagree with the comments made by Ozy, I just really identified with the insecure Charlie Kaufman played by Nicolas Cage. And I thought the performances by Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper especially were great. Most of all I liked the little speech by Donald near the end when he talks about his love for someone else - something about those words just really resonated (perhaps an effect of being one of those who constantly worships from afar).
I did feel that it ended quite suddenly and left me feeling a little unfulfilled.
And the dial tone thing was AWESOME. Promise me we'll try that if I ever get back onto XBL.
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momijizukamori
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Date: 2005-04-21 02:34 pm (UTC)I will say that I enjoyed Meryl Streep in ADAPTATION, though.
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Date: 2005-04-21 02:48 pm (UTC)And, yes. I almost wrote something about Streep, because, well, she's just wonderful. Like, she's SOOOOO Meryl Streep, but she's also so very good at what she does. The dial tone bit was awesomely funny.
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Date: 2005-04-21 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-21 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-21 08:42 pm (UTC)Although I can't disagree with the comments made by Ozy, I just really identified with the insecure Charlie Kaufman played by Nicolas Cage. And I thought the performances by Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper especially were great. Most of all I liked the little speech by Donald near the end when he talks about his love for someone else - something about those words just really resonated (perhaps an effect of being one of those who constantly worships from afar).
I did feel that it ended quite suddenly and left me feeling a little unfulfilled.
And the dial tone thing was AWESOME. Promise me we'll try that if I ever get back onto XBL.
Mikey
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Date: 2005-04-22 02:44 am (UTC)