Despite the slew of recent book-to-film adaptations, it is admittedly a difficult task bringing to screen something that's by nature a completely different medium. And while there has been no shortage of exceptional films that originated from within the confines of a novel or short story, it takes a truly gifted screenwriter to come up with a translation that manages to be daringly original. Fortunately, when you use the word 'original', the name Charlie Kaufman won't be far behind. The visionary screenwriter behind such cult hits like 'Being John Malkovich' and 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', Kaufman is no stranger to metafiction - that loopy film genre where the boundaries of reality and fiction are blurred so self-referentially that it actually makes you feel smarter just watching it. While attempting to adapt the Susan Orlean book 'The Orchid Thief' for the big screen, Kaufman runs into a minor obstacle: the book is devoid of any hint of a plot. So what does he do? He writes a story about himself - an overweight balding screenwriter named Charlie Kaufman (played to perfection by Nicolas Cage) who is trying to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' for the big screen. Things are not aided by the fact that Kaufman's twin brother Donald is also a fledging writer trying to write the screenplay for a big-budget psychological thriller called 'The 3'. It is a testament to Cage's performance that despite wearing the same fat suit while playing both brothers, his facial expressions are enough for you to distinguish between the brothers on screen. The film then delves into a heady mix of inspired lunacy, as Kaufman meets the book's author, played by Meryl Streep, who then recounts meeting the book's subject, a Florida orchid grower played by Chris Cooper in his Oscar-winning role. As Charlie slowly loses his control over the screenplay while realizing the book is un-filmable, he starts getting advice from Donald, who suggests adding a love story, some drug use, some guns and a car chase. The genius of 'Adaptation' lies in the fact that after Donald 'Hollywood-ises' Charlie's screenplay, the movie itself turns into the very thing he wants it to be. The film is peppered with several ironic moments, such as the appearance by screen writing guru Robert McGee (played by Brian Cox) who decries the use of a voice-over narration at the very same time that the angsty Charlie is spouting off a narration in his head. It is truly difficult to do the film justice in a straightforward film review like this. Its amorphous plot could only be enjoyed by watching the film itself, and enjoying it as it takes you on a journey to the most unexpected places. While meta-fiction has existed in films as old as Woody Allen's 'Annie Hall' and as recent as Michael Winterbottom's delightfully quirky 'Tristam Shandy', few filmmakers attempt it for the sheer convolution of its structure. But when you are in the hands of a genre-master like Kaufman, all you can do is scratch your head, squeal in delight, and enjoy the ride.
Review of Adaptation.
