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Fortunately, the film’s strengths far outweigh its shortcomings. Spike Jonze (director) and Charlie Kaufman (screenwriter) have crafted an ingenious tale that defies convention and breaks new ground in ways that few movies ever have and fewer ever will, given what many perceive as the decreasing premium on originality in Hollywood. Here, Cusack turns his usual role of amiable everyman on its head. What is initially a sympathetic character is quickly revealed to be a jealous, vindictive ass, allowing Cusack to utilize range that even many of his fans might not have seen before. In a rare change of pace, Cameron Diaz is allowed not to be a vapid sex toy – Lotte is as mousy and endearing as that girl in your ninth grade physics class who might have been as pretty as the cheerleading captain if only she’d brushed her hair and discovered the wonders of Benzoyl Peroxide. Indie darling Catherine Keener owns each scene she’s in (even opposite Malkovich), slinking across the screen like a spoiled Persian cat who’s used to getting whatever it wants. But icy women are almost always hiding something, and Maxine is no different. All of these characters are emotionally vapid train wrecks, and the mysterious gateway only serves to magnify the soul crushing issues that they otherwise might have just grimly carried to their graves.

But perhaps the most extraordinary portrayal is that of Malkovich as Malkovich – this had to be one of the most daunting and rewarding roles he’s ever taken; he’s playing what you’d charitably call a less than flattering version of himself. But that’s the point; Being John Malkovich takes its fair share of shots at the cult of celebrity and just when you’re about to wonder why it’s about Malkovich instead of someone like Charlie Sheen, we actually see Charlie Sheen.

From there, the answer becomes obvious. Sheen, cast as a vainglorious twit might not surprise many people but Malkovich – that guy we’ve seen in such hoity-toity fare like Dangerous Liaisons – seems like he has to be smarter than this; it’s the casting against type that makes it work. Most audiences probably already assume that rich, successful Academy Award nominees really do spend their free time strutting around, preening and thinking about their genitals! In that way, as viewers, the film tests our own perceptions far more than it does those of its characters. Despite the uneven final act, the film leaves us wondering where we might draw the line, how far might be going too far in order to get what we want, and whether our own problems are so insurmountable in comparison to others as we’re tempted to think.

This movie, that many of you will might feel sure could never interest you, will affect you more than you expect it to during its run time, and will haunt you longer than you want it to after it’s over. As I suggested before, brainy and existential films often make people uncomfortable because most of us don’t really like to think about life. It’s easier just to sit back, let it happen, and then complain about the results. But getting the things you want out of the world means compromise, and learning to not just accept but embrace the difficult decisions along with the simple ones. As the inhabitants of this twisted tale eventually learn, happiness is as much about the actions you don’t take as it is about the ones you do. That’s something everyone should take a little time to consider, and if you can do it on your couch, in front of the television with Cameron Diaz and Catherine Keener, how bad could it be?

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