Go see this ‘Adaptation’; you don’t want to see ‘That’

An ‘Adaptation’ that satisfies its audience

From the team that brought you “Being John Malkovich” comes a

wonderful new motion picture titled “Adaptation.”

Aside from enjoying the wonderful exploits of screenwriter Charlie

Kaufman and director Spike Jonze, film lovers should also embrace

this film as Nicholas Cage’s return to serious and real acting after

years of wandering in the megaplex wasteland in such dismal films as

“Captain Correlli’s Mandolin,” “Con Air,” “The Family Man” and “Gone

in 60 Seconds.”

Cage portrays an insecure writer named Charlie Kaufman who is

agonizing over turning Susan Orlean’s best-selling novel, “The Orchid

Thief,” into a film.

In laboring over the adaptation, Kaufman creates an imaginary twin

brother, Donald (also portrayed by Cage), who is the polar opposite

of Charlie. Whereas Charlie is meek and timid, Donald is bold and,

essentially, a swinger. The matter becomes even more complicated when

Donald decides on a whim to write his own screenplay, which is

subsequently optioned.

The real Kaufman has taken real people like his agent, studio

executives (Tilda Swinton), Orlean (Meryl Streep), “orchid thief”

John Laroche (Chris Cooper) and screenwriter czar Robert McKee (Brian

Cox) and turned them into half-and-half creatures of his imagination.

Entertaining as this is, watching Kaufman, both the real and

imaginary, being overwhelmed by his problems with the script, his

“brother” and his romantic life is only half the film.

Alternating with it are scenes from an actual origin and

subsequent adaptation of “The Orchid Thief,” an involving scenario

that illustrates why the real Orlean and Kaufman were interested in

the project in the first place.

In doing so, Kaufman and Jonze have taken the premise of writers

block, so magnificently portrayed in the Cohen Brothers’ “Barton

Fink,” and written a thoroughly original film about the creative

process.

In spite of the splendid performances by Cage, Kaufman, Jonze and

Streep, the film’s true star is Chris Cooper. Cooper has been around

for quite some time, involved in several illustrious projects such as

John Sayles’ “Matewan” and “Lone Star,” Michael Canton-Jones’ “This

Boy’s Life,” Joe Johnston’s “October Sky” and Alan Mendes’ “American

Beauty.”

Cooper’s Laroche allows him to demonstrate his acting prowess to a

hopefully larger and appreciative audience than his previous films

provided. Cooper makes the most of his opportunity and deserves his

forthcoming accolades.

While the author-in-a-story concept is not new, the originality

exhibited by Kaufman, Jonze and their cast really make this

adaptation one to remember.

“Adaptation” is rated R for language, sexuality, some drug use and

violent images.

* ROB OROZCO lives in Costa Mesa with his wife and two cats.

In the final analysis, sequel is a bad movie

“Analyze That” is much like 1999’s “Analyze This,” but leaves you

with way too much to analyze. We love the way Robert De Niro’s

comical style played off of Billy Crystal’s talent, but pay no

attention to the plot. Enjoy the actors, or else you will need

analysis.

After several attempts on his life in Sing Sing, Paul Vitti (De

Niro), a former mob boss, fakes madness to get an early release so he

can find out who put out the hit.

Vitti’s former psychotherapist, Ben Sobel (Crystal), ends up

taking custody of him at the request of the FBI, unaware that the

federal agency is perpetrating a charade, hoping that Vitti will

rejoin the mob and allow them to make arrests that stick.

Vitti tries to fit into ordinary society and find noncriminal

employment, which includes a try at selling cars that doesn’t work

out too well. While showing the trunk of a new car to prospective

buyers, he blurts “Look at the size of this trunk. You can fit three

bodies in there.”

He fails as a restaurant maitre d’ when his old cronies come in to

dine and insult him, and he fails as a jewelry salesman because he

can’t help thinking of how to steal everything. These three scenes

are the movie’s funniest moments.

Vitti finds success as a consultant on a cable mob show called

“Little Caesar,” which has an Aussie lead (Anthony LaPaglia). Vitti

invites his old crew to hang around to give the show authenticity.

While consulting, it becomes too tempting for Vitti and the boys to

plan a gold heist. This job actually produced action -- high speed

chases, guns and suspense. But it was too little, too late.

The rocky subplots are too many to mention. We thought one might

come together where Vitti and Sobel are both dealing with their

fathers’ deaths. Instead, the script leaves you weary of the echoes:

“I’m grieving. It’s a process.”

The writers made a weak attempt with a spoof of “The Sopranos,”

but we’re not sure it had enough force to be recognized.

We say:

“Analyze Those” who produced this movie for wasting perfectly

great talent.

“Analyze Us” who go to movies expecting great plots.

“Analyze It” before you plunk down your money.

“Analyze That” is rated R for language and some sexual content.

* GAY WASSALL-KELLY is the editor of a Balboa newspaper and is

active in the community. BILL KELLY is an industrial engineer.