1. Adaptation. (2002)
From one Charlie Kaufman film to another. Starring Nic Cage as...Charlie Kaufman. And Charlie's twin brother Donald. Who doesn't actually exist.
Okay let's back up for a second. Charlie Kaufman is hired to write a screenplay for the real life novel The Orchard Thief which he wants to be a faithful adaptation, but is near impossible to adapt due to the lack of a narrative. His brother Donald is also a writer who is making a six figure deal on a generic psychological thriller called The 3.
Suffice it to say, Adaptation is a very surreal film. Written by a real writer about himself writing an adaptation of a real book. And if you ever have any doubt that Nicolas Cage is actually a real good actor when given the proper outlet, watch this. Or Raising Arizona. Or Leaving Las Vegas. Or even
.I think what makes it even more amazing is that it works as a perfect parallel to Kaufman's first screenplay, Being John Malkovich. While John Malkovich is a literal journey into an actor's mind, Adaptation is a much less literal observation of Kaufman's own mind, the mind of the writer. Donald may not be real outside of the film, but he's definitely a facet of Kaufman's own personality. He's the id, a representation of the pleasure principle of Kaufman's mind, the desire to just say "fuck it" to making the meaningful and strange, and to delve into the popcorn flicks that make tons of money.
But he doesn't. And I'm eternally grateful for that.
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