Adaptation.
2002 · Directed by Spike Jonze
Original language: English
- comedy
- crime
- drama
The story
Charlie Kaufman is a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman and Orlean's book become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the other's.
What it’s like
Sun-bleached Los Angeles stucco and cramped, beige apartments give way to humid Florida swamp, lush and overgrown, with orchids glowing in dim greenhouse light. Jonze shoots with a restless, slightly jittery camera that drifts in close on anxious faces, and the film keeps breaking its own frame with voiceover and self-aware asides. Carter Burwell's score moves between jaunty and melancholy, and the dialogue is fast, neurotic and funny. The vibe is anxious, wry and self-mocking, with a melancholy undertow, best for a rainy Sunday or a late-night watch when you want something clever that doesn't feel precious. The arcs are about creative paralysis and two brothers who are nothing alike, and about how easily people turn their lives into stories. Intensity is moderate: a few sudden deaths and a brief gunshot, some drug use, and sexual themes handled through awkward talk rather than explicit scenes, with no gore. It suits viewers who enjoy witty, meta, character-driven films about writers, creative block and self-doubt.
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