Adaptation (Superbit Collection)

I just finished watching this terrific movie again. ADAPTATION is truly one of those movies that actually grows richer upon a second viewing. The first time I saw it, I was blown away by the fantastic acting and enjoyed trying to follow the dynamics of the movies. I say "dynamics" rather than twists and turns, because on the surface, there are no twists. The movie just unspools "realistically" with a generous dose of carefully labeled flashbacks. But underneath, what we're really seeing is a movie that "twists" from straightforward storytelling to a movie that may actually be the playing out of the screenplay that is being written (which is what the movie is about).Nicolas Cage plays Charles Kaufman, the screenwriter for BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, who has just been hired to write an adaptation of the bestselling THE ORCHID THIEF by Susan Orlean. Of course, the fun begins right there, because this movie is written by Charles Kaufman, who actually WAS hired to adapt THE ORCHID THIEF. Charles is a deeply neurotic and insecure person, prone to flop-sweats and bouts of either shyness or manic babbling. His internal dialogue, which we share from time to time, is a masterpiece of self-flaggelation. Charles lives with his twin brother Donald (also Cage), a sweet, simple person who idolizes the work Charles has done and also lives much more in the real world. Of course, Donald DOESN'T exist in our world. In the movie, we see how Charles becomes incapable of writing a screen play of Orlean's book, because he admires it so much, because it probably isn't ideal for a movie treatment and because Charles develops a fixation for Orleans (Meryl Streep).From there we are shown glimpses of the story of THE ORCHID THIEF (Chris Cooper, Oscar-winner), how the man was arrested for poaching rare orchids in the swamps of Florida, and how his little story attracted reported Orlean, who went to interview the man and spent enough time with him to develop an entire book.But as the movie progresses, the line between the "real" world and how Charles Kaufmann is beginning to reimagine Orlean's relationship with The Orchid Thief (La Rouche is his name). But there is never a clear demarcation showing when this spin into fantasy land is starting. But Orlean's adventures become more and more outrageous (an affair with LaRouche, drug use, etc.) that are blatant fictions.And why does Charles fabricate fictional plot twists for his non-fiction screenplay. First, because his brother Donald has just out of the blue written a non-sensical action movie that has yield him a big contract and because Charles has attended (unwillingly) a screenwriting workshop and has clearly been influenced by all the "formula" he's being exhorted to incorporate into his work. His screenplay starts out as an exploration of the simple joy of loving flowers and becomes a silly action-flick.But what's so fun about ADAPTATION is that we get to experience not only Charles difficulty in imagining a screenplay adaptation of THE ORCHID THIEF, but we get to SEE the story play out alongside it. It's three movies in one: the telling of the story of THE ORCHID THIEF, as written by Susan Orlean [by the way, there is one scene, not fiction, where LaRoche and his family are in a car accident that changes his life. It's undeniably one of the most gut-wrenchingly realistic car crashes ever put on screen. 10 seconds of film seared into your mind forever.], the telling of how a screenwriter named Charles Kaufman couldn't come up with a way to adapt the book and a totally fictional story of THE ORCHID THIEF and the screenwriter's twin brother. But they are totally intertwined. It sounds confusing, but the joy of this piece also lies in how clearly we follow it. At least, a halfway intelligent and attentive viewer will follow. This is not a wacky, slapstick movie. It's clever, smart and totally original. It's also very adult, and is meant for film viewers with some experience with watching and appreciating film.Let me also say that Nicolas Cage gives one of his two or three best performances of all time (Oscar nominated). Meryl Streep (Oscar nominated) is sheer delight, reminding us that she must not be taken for granted...that she is totally able to play a real, flesh and blood American woman with no accent, and make her completely delightful. Chris Cooper deserved his Oscar win for his daring performance, which mixes lunacy and tragedy into one unique character. Everyone else gives very able support, especially Brian Cox as the screenwriting workshop leader. Here's a guy who simply cannot give less than a commanding performance, however small the role.So, I very much recommend this most unique, funny, moving and well-presented film!

Great adaptation of a true story

... why I don't hate this film! It's pretentious, meandering, self-indulgent, self-referential -- everything that typifies post-modernist literature -- and plot-driven without a plot. But hate it I don't. I won't go so far as to say I love it, but I watched it intently and found myself defending it from a couple of people who thought it was "boring and confusing". It was not boring, to me at any rate, and not at all confusing. If anything, it might not have been confusing enough. The meta-meanings were awfully obvious.The premise of the un-plot is that screenwriter Charlie Kaufman has been hired to adapt a popular novel, The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean, but suffers pathetic 'writer's block' over the task, eventually becoming obsessed with the author, whom he's never met, and stalking her until he discovers a shocking secret. Well now, Charlie Kaufman is the actual screenwriter of Adaptation but "Charlie Kaufman" is played in the film by Nicolas Gage, who also plays Charlie Kaufman's twin brother "Donald", while the real Donald Kaufman is given shared credit for the screenplay. Susan Orlean is a real writer for The New Yorker magazine and she really did write a book titled The Orchid Thief. In the film, she's played by Meryl Streep. Ms. Orlean has to be a very Good Sport about her work, since it is "adapted" with demonic abandon and portrays her in activities (imagined) that must have scandalized her colleagues and friends. The film's Charlie Kaufman is neurotic to the point of comedy, which is in fact the chief point of the comedy. His brother is utterly neurosis-clean but a bit of a dimwit. The focal character of Orlean's book is a shady Floridian misfit named John Laroche, the 'Orchid Thief' of the title. Laroche is perceived on three levels by the film audience: as he is described by Orlean in her book, as he appears in the film in flashbacks being interviewed by Orlean for the book, and as he is envisioned by Kaufman on the basis only of reading the book under adaptation. Yes, it is a set of Chinese Boxes, mirrors reflecting mirrors, a play within a play within a play ...... so why did I like it? For one thing, I expected it to be 'weird' and I almost knew I would like it. I sought it because I'd recently seen Charlie Kaufman's later movie "Synecdoche New York", which I considered the most interesting film of recent years. I'm working backwards through Kaufman's oeuvre. "Adaptation" isn't as good as "Synecdoche New York". In fact, it seems almost like a practice piece for the later film. But it's ambitious. AMBITIOUS! Precisely what most films, especially American film, are not. Its ambitions outweigh its pretensions. Also, the acting is incredibly good. Meryl Streep plays Susan Orlean as the evolving character the plot/unplot requires. Chris Cooper is perfect as Laroche; he's exactly the same person no matter who is perceiving him, and that person is as real as table salt. Nicolas Gage? Frankly, I didn't think the man could act at all. I thought he was one of those Hollywood icons who played the same guy, himself, in every film. Ho boy, he surprised me. In Adaptation he plays two guys, the two Kaufmans, side-by-side with totally different affect, plausibly distinct personalities. Even their sitting postures are distinguishable. The real Donald Kaufman, by the by, must be another Good Sport, considering what happens to his counterpart in the movie.This is an intelligent movie, a movie for intellectual cinema fans. I can safely say that "you" will either relish its intelligence or find it painfully dull. But it won't be a choice that depends on the film; intelligence is in the mind of the beholder.

Film parlé en anglais, pas de sous-titrage français

La entrega fue rápida, el producto estaba en buenas condiciones y cumplía lo prometido.

Una excelente película que aborda el tema del trabajo creativo y de la "integridad artistica" en estos tiempos en que los artistas tienden a tomarse demasiado en serio, Jonze plasma en este filme muchas de las situaciones reales a las que se puede enfrentar un guionista al adaptar una obra ajena, el humor es exquisito y cualquier persona que haya trabajado en la escritura de guiones o en cualquier otro tipo de escritura se sentirá identificado con el personaje de Kauffman, si; es uno de esos casos de metaficción pero uno que en verdad vale la pena, la actuación de Nicolas Cage es muy buena.

Ce bluray n'est pas compatible avec le format européen donc.à éviter car ce sera un.achat inutile même si le film est génial

Adaptation was one of the best if not the best film of 2002!! The script was beautifully written and the characters were excellently portrayed by the amazing cast. Nicolas Cage and Chris Cooper pull off their finest performances of their careers in this tale of overcoming odds to prevail in the quest we call life.