Being John Malkovich (R, 1999)

Being John Malkovich is genius in its bizareness. It's crazy and inventive and witty, but it also begins with more promise than it turns out to have in store for us. The first half hour or so is virtually flawless, but the rest of the movie becomes too dark, too intense, and too different from the first portion of the film. About an hour into the film, I found myself feeling almost bored. The movie begins with an Alice-falling-down-the-rabbit-hole feel to it--and Jon Cusack does in fact fall down something of that nature--but it transforms into something a little too dramatic and a little too intense. Although the movie is a little inconsistent and rather dark, I definitely suggest it to those who appreciate the bizarre. Overall, I was glad that I watched it, and I think others will feel the same if they don't mind the unreserved strangeness. This film is probably okay for most older teens, although there is a lot of bad language, sexual themes (including one fairly explicit, on-screen sex scene), and characters that are not best described as good role models.