Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Adaptation. Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 10, 2020

1999’s “Being John Malkovich” turned everything around for screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. Struggling to define his career in comedy and sitcoms, the feature managed to replicate his odd sense of humor and interest in strangeness. Mischievous director Spike Jonze was an ideal match for Kaufman’s dented imagination, with the pair finding unexpected box office and awards show success with the endeavor, inspiring them to move forward with a second collaboration. 2002’s “Adaptation” sheds some of the obvious oddity of “Being John Malkovich” to provide a more internalized take on Kaufman’s specialized brain, trying a little harder to blend mind-bending storytelling with the writer’s love of idiosyncrasy. Jonze calms himself down for the job, submitting his best work in “Adaptation,” managing to protect the screenplay’s leaps of time and perspective while securing its dark humor and puzzling pathos. He also makes Kaufman approachable, a rare feat, smoothing out incessant quirk to deliver a picture that revels in the writer’s experience as it goes from impishness to alarm.

While experiencing the thrill of seeing “Being John Malkovich” enter production, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) is struggling with his life. Filled with self-loathing and paranoia, Charlie’s anxieties worsen when he’s hired to turn the book “The Orchid Thief” into a workable screenplay. Growing obsessed with the novel and its author, Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), Charlie can’t seem to figure out his take on the material, losing his mind to writer’s block while dealing with his sexual and professional failures. Not helping the cause is his twin brother, Donald (Cage), who’s decided to try his luck cooking up screenplay, coming up with an outlandish serial killer idea that goes against Charlie’s ideas on art and dramatic integrity, with the struggling writer watching his sibling experience success with his take on thriller cinema. Charlie, desperate to power through his assignment, starts to insert his own concerns into the work, becoming a character alongside Susan and John Laroche (Chris Cooper), the subject of “The Orchid Thief,” who provides an intoxicating Floridian world of botany and personal loss for the two people writing about his life.

Charlie Kaufman the screenwriter doesn’t take it easy on Charlie Kaufman the character. “Adaptation” feels therapeutic in this regard, with Charlie living with his whirring brain, working to come up with his take on “The Orchid Thief” while battling with contempt for himself, which we hear in a furious inner-monologues where the writer tears apart his professional abilities and personal appearance, especially sensitive about his weight and thinning head of hair. It’s fascinating insight into Kaufman’s self-image, dealing with the torment of taking a job he eventually realizes he can’t conquer, and there’s a sexual component to his mental illness, unable to make the leap with a willing partner in Amelia (Cara Seymour), while trying out various masturbatory fantasies with random women, including a restaurant server (Judy Greer) and even Susan, who graduates from a professional challenge to a brief temptation. “Adaptation” is fearless when exploring Charlie’s neuroses, while his enmity for Donald takes his anxieties to another level, watching his amiable, loving brother enter the Hollywood game and win, finding success with his mainstream interests while Charlie lives in constant pain as he protects his artistic principles.

Charlie’s irritations and blockage fuel the puzzle-like nature of Kaufman’s screenplay, which is a semi-fictional take on his efforts to turn “The Orchid Thief” into a film while also examining how Susan found her way to John, initially profiling him for The New Yorker. “Adaptation” follows Susan’s experience with a Floridian man who’s clearly intelligent and interested in the world around him, using habitual obsessiveness to create different careers over time, including the theft of rare orchids from remote swamps. John is a complex man with a tragic backstory, softening Susan’s New York intellectualism as she gradually succumbs to his unusual charms and passions, with the pair embarking on an unexpected relationship that involves long drives and, later in the movie, hallucinogenic powder extracted from a special orchid. Kaufman blends this invention with his own professional pressures, keeping Charlie on edge as he tries to find a way into the screenplay, turning “Adaptation” into an adventure that involves surveillance and help from Donald. Charlie even tempts creative embarrassment by attending a screenwriting seminar hosted by industry legend Robert McKee (Brian Cox), getting a few tips from a blowhard story consultant to help him crack “The Orchid Thief.”

Jonze dials down his usual mischief for “Adaptation,” focusing intently on supporting Kaufman’s vision for the movie, which often travels through time and enters an unreality concerning Charlie’s writing, blurring lines between fact and fiction. It’s playful but respectful direction, and he remains supportive of the cast, giving Cage room to fret and sweat as Charlie, while Donald is a distinctly functional human being, excited by his opportunities. Cage is remarkable as the twins, generating distinct personalities as Jonze’s visual effects seamlessly connect the siblings. Streep is loose and exploratory as Susan, and Cooper is superbly lived-in as John, delivering immersive, pained work that was eventually rewarded with an Academy Award in 2003.

Adaptation. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation handles the moods of "Adaptation" satisfactorily, blending the brightness of Florida and California locations with the darker world of Charlie's apartment life. Hues come through with accuracy, delivering vivid greenery with flower and swamp tours. Costuming offers different looks at business attire and rural outfits. Skintones are natural, ranging from Susan's ivory white appearance to John's deep tan. Detail is compelling, surveying textured facial surfaces (often covered in sweat and dirt) and clothing choices. Delineation is comfortable. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in excellent shape.

Adaptation. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't not built for demonstration purposes, instead offering a respectful listening experience that's attentive to the strange moods of "Adaptation." Dialogue exchanges are secure, with crisp voices and defined dramatic intent. Inner-monologue work is protected, with whispered thoughts clearly understood. Scoring supports with satisfactory instrumentation and placement, while soundtrack selections are offered a bit more power, especially with percussion. Surrounds aren't remarkable, pushing out city bustle and swampland travel. Atmospherics are decent. Low-end isn't challenged, but harder hits of violence register with weight

Adaptation. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Featurette (2:03, SD) is a brief look at the swamp shoot, highlighting the crew's effort to assemble shots, dealing with a potentially dangerous location and stunts. The BTS footage is appealing, exploring camaraderie and professionalism, but there's not enough of it, and the details of the day aren't explained in full. Also of interest are a few moments with Cage, watching him slip into character.

• Image Gallery (1:51) collects poster art, film stills, and BTS pictures.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:33, SD) is included.

Adaptation. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Adaptation" remains in the muck of Charlie's liquefying brain, enjoying the semi-comic, mostly panicked thoughts and actions of the character, with Kaufman refusing to soften such a tortuous creative process. He can't quite nail a final act, getting lost in the cutesiness of Donald and McKee's structural influence on Charlie with a cheeky finale, which goes on for too long, but the trip there is fantastically itchy and oddly welcoming as a mystery of sorts. Jonze finds a way to make Kaufman approachable, while the writer acknowledges his own tricks and fetishes as he exposes his exhaustive process with a brief wink and whole lot of wincing.