8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is hired to adapt "The Orchid Thief," a nonfiction book by Susan Orlean about an eccentric orchid breeder, John Laroche, but he becomes completely blocked. Meanwhile, Charlie's happy-go-lucky twin brother, Donald, dashes off a potboiler thriller based on multiple personality disorder. As Charlie continues to struggle, we see Laroche and Orlean in flashbacks, but past and present converge, as Charlie "writes himself" into his screenplay, and he and Donald begin to collaborate.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton, Cara SeymourDrama | 100% |
Dark humor | 52% |
Surreal | 45% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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.
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.
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" 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.
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