Nicolas Cage plays dual roles in "Adaptation." Photo: http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2002/adaptation.php .Every actor seems to go through a slump. Such has been the case lately for Nicolas Cage. That's a real shame, because he is one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. You wouldn't know that by looking at his recent movie choices, such as the laughable remake of "The Wicker Man." But a few years ago he gave one of his best performances in "Adaptation" playing twin brothers, one of whom is attempting to adapt a book called "The Orchid Thief" into a screenplay. Making the performance all the more impressive is the twins (Charles and Donald Kaufman) look exactly alike, so Cage really has his work cut out for him, and he pulls it off.
"The Orchid Thief" that Charlie Kaufman is attempting to adapt for a movie is a book that was an expanded version of an article in "The New Yorker" by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep." The article (and the book) concerns a man named John Laroche (Chris Cooper) who collects endangered orchids in Florida. The problem is that he does this on state-owned land, which is illegal. But he gets around it by hiring Seminoles to get the orchids for him, which is their legal right because the orchids are on their ancestral lands. By that summary this sounds like it would be a pretty boring movie. It's not. The movie is endlessly inventive thanks to a brilliant screenplay and an amazing cast, including Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper.
As impressive as Cage is playing the twin screenwriters, Streep and Cooper are equally excellent. Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper prove themselves in this movie to both be extremely skilled chameleons. To this day I have never seen a movie where Streep has given a bad performance. If a movie is bad it is certainly no fault of hers. Unless you are living under a rock, you know all about Meryl Streep. I'm guessing not the same can be said for the vastly underrated Chris Cooper. You probably would know him if you saw him. He played the dad in "October Sky," the trainer in "Seabiscuit," and a few years ago he gave a powerful performance in "Breach." Cooper makes his orchid thief such an believable eccentric that it was easy to see why Susan Orlean fell in love with him.
Also worth noting is the people behind this movie created the equally imaginative "Being John Malkovich." If you appreciate this movie you owe it to yourself to see that one as well. The first time I saw "Adaptation" I must confess I liked it but didn't love it the way I loved "Being John Malkovich." Upon second viewing I feel totally different. With so many sequels and retreads out there today, it's refreshing to see a movie so original and fun. It's also a fascinating look at a the screenwriting process. "Adaptation" definitely meets my great movie criteria!
"The Orchid Thief" that Charlie Kaufman is attempting to adapt for a movie is a book that was an expanded version of an article in "The New Yorker" by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep." The article (and the book) concerns a man named John Laroche (Chris Cooper) who collects endangered orchids in Florida. The problem is that he does this on state-owned land, which is illegal. But he gets around it by hiring Seminoles to get the orchids for him, which is their legal right because the orchids are on their ancestral lands. By that summary this sounds like it would be a pretty boring movie. It's not. The movie is endlessly inventive thanks to a brilliant screenplay and an amazing cast, including Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper.
As impressive as Cage is playing the twin screenwriters, Streep and Cooper are equally excellent. Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper prove themselves in this movie to both be extremely skilled chameleons. To this day I have never seen a movie where Streep has given a bad performance. If a movie is bad it is certainly no fault of hers. Unless you are living under a rock, you know all about Meryl Streep. I'm guessing not the same can be said for the vastly underrated Chris Cooper. You probably would know him if you saw him. He played the dad in "October Sky," the trainer in "Seabiscuit," and a few years ago he gave a powerful performance in "Breach." Cooper makes his orchid thief such an believable eccentric that it was easy to see why Susan Orlean fell in love with him.
Also worth noting is the people behind this movie created the equally imaginative "Being John Malkovich." If you appreciate this movie you owe it to yourself to see that one as well. The first time I saw "Adaptation" I must confess I liked it but didn't love it the way I loved "Being John Malkovich." Upon second viewing I feel totally different. With so many sequels and retreads out there today, it's refreshing to see a movie so original and fun. It's also a fascinating look at a the screenwriting process. "Adaptation" definitely meets my great movie criteria!
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