Adaptation

USA (2002)

Screenwriter occupation is very difficult in Hollywood. Mainly if your work consist on an Adaptation of a popular book. This is the case of Charlie Kaufman. He must adapt the novel “The Orchid thief” (a Susan Orlean's best seller) in a few weeks. Fortunately Charlie can count on his twin brother, Donald. He his very different; Charlie is shy and Donald is extrovert; Charlie is a loser and Donald, a winner. But both are screenwriters. Charlie tries to write a faithful and serious script; but he can't. The Susan's story is very simple and very linear. It's impossible to create something new. However, Donald has had a brilliant idea and finishes a script much before than Charlie. Donald decides to send his script to Charlie's agent, signed as his brother. The final result is a success. Everybody is happy: producers, Susan, the agency... But Charlie isn't sure about his brother story. After knowing Susan, Charlie feels that she is hiding something important. When he and his brother start to investigate, a strange true will appear; a true that will be the best way to get the best Adaptation.

Spike Jonze achieved in 2002 a new success after Being John Malkovich. This movie is really one of most original films that I have ever seen. It's mix between reality and fiction. The starring, Charlie Kaufman is the real screenwriter of this movie. However his twin brother, Donald, his fictitious. In fact, the Oscars Academy nominated for best script award to Charlie and Donald; It was the first time that an unreal character was nominated to an Oscar. Really, this was a Jonze's tribute to two legendary screenwriters: the Epstein Brothers (twin brothers). They made masterpieces as Casablanca or Arsenic and old lace. The first part of the movie tells the story of Kaufman bros. And how Charlie is try to understand Susan's book (real too and her book as well); in this section the scenes in the real being John Malkovich's set are really curious. In this fragment (the first 90 minutes) Charlie and Donald have an introspective experience with dense dialogues and not too much action. The second part, however, is more typical with a very thrilling ending as culmination of this interesting and innovative film.

Mark:8.3

To Remember: The continuous mix of reality and fiction.
To Forget: The Maryl Streep interpretation. If Jonze had chosen a teeneger the final result would have been better.


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