100 Word Review – Being John Malkovich (1999)

Craig (John Cusack) a puppeteer with a failing career finds a portal that allows him inside the mind of famous actor John Malkovich, where he starts to put his skills to work.

Written by Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation) and directed by Spike Jonze (Where The Wild Things Are, Her), this film was always going to be an unusual movie.

With John Malkovich playing himself and co-starring Cameron Diaz and Catherine Keener, this film is weird, dark and completely trippy. The acting is superb and there are moments of dark humour that make it thoroughly watchable.

100 Word Review – Her (2013)

Set in the not-too-distant future, JoaquĆ­n Pheonix plays Theodore, a man who becomes romantically involved in his operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).

This is an example of Spike Jonze at his absolute best, combining the romantic whimsy of his adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are (2009) with the psychological intrigue of Being John Malkovich (1999).

Pheonix does a sterling performance as the lonely writer whose desperation for human contact in a world of screens and computers can be empathised with on a global scale.

This film is perfect for any romantics out there, whether or not they like Sci Fi.