Adaptation. (2002)

A Major Disappointment

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

...but I don't. I have seen every Kaufman written movie Adaptation. and on, excluding Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. And I have loved every single one and they are all 10/10 perfect movies in my mind. Synecdoche, New York being my favorite film of all time.But something didn't work here. And after re-watching it one more time I think I got it. You see, all the parts with Charlie Kaufman as a struggling writer and writing the story as it goes are some of the best Kaufman stuff ever made. And the third act perfectly ties things together by letting everything that Kaufman didn't want to happen, happen. And its awful/great. But every single time it cut back to Meryl Streep in The Orchid Thief I found myself utterly bored. None of these parts seemed that integral to Kaufman's plot, so I wonder why he bothered by having them in this movie this much. I have never been this disappointed in a writer. The movie is great, but it focuses on the wrong things.

I found this movie very depressing including the ending. The actors were very good but it was still depressing. Hard to follow the plot. The characters all seemed depressed with their lives and drifting aimlessly. This is not a "feel good" by any stretch. Nicolas Cage does a great job playing 2 characters but this too was hard to watch. He was very tormented.

Much like Spike Jonze's and Charlie Kaufman's other creative endeavor 'Being John Malkovich', this is a movie that's drenched in layers of metatext. It's a movie that's about the making of itself, starring the film's creators as its characters. Nicolas Cage plays the screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman, and also his fictional twin brother Donald Kaufman (who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay despite not really existing), and Meryl Streep plays Susan Orlean, the writer of the book 'The Orchid Thief' that the movie is based on.Because the screenplay is so dense most of the movie is focused on untangling the mess of reality and fiction - or, rather, tangling them up even more so that by the end you have to check Wikipedia for what is real and what isn't. Actually the book that this 'adaptation' is based on drops to the background, and the movie is more about the creative process. Meryl Streep's performance is hilarious and Nicolas Cage is tragicomic in his resigned depression.

Reviewed August 2011I am bowled over. No words to describe Charlie Kauffman's imagination and vision. I thought 'Being John Malkovich' was the craziest one can go, the same man behind it tops it in a couple of years. Credit should also go to the director, editor and a string of talented actors who give their best for transferring this complex multi layered script to the screen devotedly. I can think of 2 reasons why Charlie Kauffman did not win the Oscar. 1) Jury didn't know whether to look at it as original or adapted screenplay. 2) Charlie Kauffman took help from an imaginary Donald Kauffman. I am not sure how to put a brief synopsis of this movie like I do in most reviews, let me give it a try. Charlie Kauffman (Nicolas Cage) is stuck in a writer's block after he was asked to adapt a non- fiction book 'The Orchid Thief' about experiences of the author Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) with a plant enthusiast John Laroche (Chris Cooper). David Kauffman, a little dimwit yet relaxed identical twin of Charlie comes to stay with him and also planning to write a mass thriller. Charlie out of last resort plans to take help from his brother to finish the script. It definitely brings to mind two other movies though this is completely fresh, 'Stranger than Fiction' and 'Being John Malkovich'. Meryl Streep sleepwalks the role in her good way, Nicolas Cage's character resembles a bit of Craig Schwartz and he does a terrific job. Chris Cooper deserves the Oscar all the way. I would've given it a 100% had the climax not dragged a bit. The narration is mostly thoughts of the writer, he contradicts his thought process and seconds it back and forth through out. It was an amazing experience sitting through this and would definitely look forward to more of Charlie Kauffman's work. If you have not seen this one yet, you should. There aren't many like this.