Adaptation

So I saw 2002's award winning Adaptation directed by the creative Spike Jonze and written by the even more creative Charlie Kaufman. So is it good, yes it is extremely good. This movie has one of the most creative plots I have ever seen in any movie. This is not surprising considering the writer (Charlie Kaufman) or should I say writers, as both him and his imaginary twin Donald were both nominated for the academy award for best adapted screen play (something they lost which in my estimation is one of the greatest crimes committed by Oscar). So I mention Donald Kaufman, who is not a real person, so how does he factor into the movie. Well that is just it, I don't know if Charlie was approached about adapting Susan Orlean's book, "the orchid thief" and had difficulty writing it and decided to fictionalize the non fiction book, or if he just came up with the concept, but he took a nonfiction book and made it a fantasy of sorts. That is where the imaginary Donald comes into play. The story revolves around Charlie as he becomes increasingly frustrated about writing the screenplay while his twin brother (Donald) takes a screen writing work shop, and knocks out a hit movie that is very superficial and "popcorn" in nature. This dichotomy which is part of the movie industry, where the artist wants to be true to his art, while the pressures of delivering a hit and the formulaic plots that often get movie scripts green lit is explored. Charlie is an artist and Donald maybe represents that part of Charlie that feels like selling out to make a good payday (something you can debate for yourself). This plays out while the real story of Orlean and her subject John Laroche (played by Chris Cooper who won best supporting actor) plays out at first in the background. The movie continues to follow Charlie as he becomes increasingly frustrated and Donald becomes increasingly successful. Then the movie takes a purposeful twist. The movie even tells us it is taking the twist. It announces the plot twist before it happens, calls it by name, deus ex machina, a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object. So it announces it and all of a sudden we find ourselves in a sex and drug filled thriller where the lives of Charlie, Donald, Laroche, and Orlean crash together both literally and figuratively. So this movie is crazy insane, brilliantly written, beyond original, and extremely well acted. So is this movie for everyone, well NO! This movie is for indy lovers and the more creative thinkers among us. If transformers is your favorite movie this might not be a flick for you. However, I simply adored it.