it's been a while since i posted here, but i was wondering what you guys thought of the recent movie 'adaptation', which you all know is direct by spike jonze, nicholas cage stars, etc...what really sort of bugged me was how some people just didn't get it, and they thought it was a lesser film because of it. for example, in dean kish's review (which is posted here on movie-list), he feels the ending is the movie's weakest point, but I think he was missing the point of this horrible ending, which was to make fun of the audience for being sucked into these characters and this situation and then having it backfire cruelly on them with a banal hollywood ending. the other purpose is to sort of make your brain hurt when you try to find the exact point at which the screenplay 'switched' into the hollywood version (my guess is right when donald arrives in new york to help charlie with his screenplay). um. so that said, has anyone even seen this movie?

Originally posted by Loch
um. so that said, has anyone even seen this movie?

waiting for DVD, i mean DivX... :D ;) :cool:

well, considering it's still in very limited release, no, not yet. But I do plan to.

Originally posted by ZUBi
waiting for DVD, i mean DivX... :D ;) :cool:

the DVDscreener leaked LAST YEAR!! (days ago!)

The acting was mostly very good, great at times. Nicholas Cage has done a very good job, just as Chris Cooper and Meryl Streep. The direction was flawless. But the highlight IMHO is Charlie Kaufman's script. Man, this guy bends the narrative till it hurts. He jumps in the timeline, between peoples dreams and the different realities like a tazmanian devil. I guess some people tried that before, but failed. Kaufman succeeds. He delivers a strong power- and meaningful basis for Jonze' direction. I really wondered sometimes, how much of the real person Charlie Kaufman was in this movie. Was his struggle with Orlean's "The Orchid Thief" really that hard? Or is he just a smart guy who knows how to write some proper stories?

The best part for me, as a film lover, was when the Kaufmans were discussing their scripts. It's the struggle to deliver something new, something full of beauty and well crafted art like Charlie tries, instead of some corny mainstream serial killer BS Donald writes.

I agree with Loch about this 'banal' ending. Isn't it great when the expectations of the viewer are NOT fullfilled instead something happens you know right from the beginning of the movie (eg. man becomes Darth Vader :big grin: ). It's so much more interesting and thought provoking.

That's all.

It took me twice to get all of the twists and turns, but I totally beleive Kaufman is a narrative genius. The film blew me away. :)

Originally posted by Loch
what really sort of bugged me was how some people just didn't get it, and they thought it was a lesser film because of it. for example, in dean kish's review (which is posted here on movie-list), he feels the ending is the movie's weakest point, but I think he was missing the point of this horrible ending, which was to make fun of the audience for being sucked into these characters and this situation and then having it backfire cruelly on them with a banal hollywood ending. the other purpose is to sort of make your brain hurt when you try to find the exact point at which the screenplay 'switched' into the hollywood version (my guess is right when donald arrives in new york to help charlie with his screenplay).

I couldn't agree with you more.
I just saw the film, and yes... it IS a horrible, cliched, Hollywood ending.... just as it's supposed to be.
Place a notch for me, as one of the people who 'gets it' and thinks it's great. :)

Yeah, I think the ending shows where Donald did some of the writing. As for when the switch takes place, I'd say right after Charlie goes to the workshop. Plotwise, that's when it makes the most sense.

I agree. I think Donald takes over after Charlie ask him to come to NY to help him. Then Donald writes it the only way he knows how, sacrificing his own character so that Charlie can appreciate love and life. Everyone should see this movie at least twice before forming an opinion. If it doesn't win best adapted screenplay then the academy knows very little.

I've only seen it once, but what you just said makes it all make much more sense... What I want to see is that when Charlie wins this(as he should), I want Nick Cage to go up with him as Donald... that would just be great to see.