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Adaptation (2002)

Rate: 5
Viewed: 6/17

6/17: Having seen a lot of his movies, I always thought of Nicolas Cage as an outstanding actor, and he was one of the most talented to come out of the 80's.

It's a fine performance for him in Adaptation. Forget Chris Cooper. He's nothing special. His missing front teeth are what won him the Oscar. So, bravo, Chris, for fooling everybody. But he's a good actor, regardless. And forget Meryl Streep. Her reputation has taken a huge hit the last few years, making herself a detestable WASPy-looking person. Meryl Streep tries too hard to be the center of the show when she should've stayed out of the way.

Hence, it's Nicolas Cage's picture. Everything was working so well with him until the last fifteen minutes which is so stupid and incomprehensible that it throws off the whole thing. Yet I have to say the story is cleverly thought-out by Charlie Kaufman for the most part.

The worst crime is how Adaptation is awash in pretentiousness. It's almost like Being John Malkovich, a film I really hate, all over again. That's why Spike Jonze tends to cater to a specific audience (by the way, who the hell reads The New Yorker?), resulting in meager returns at the box office.

All in all, Nicolas Cage is the sole reason to watch Adaptation.

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