Being John Malkovich

Being John Malkovich. 1999 USA Films & Universal Pictures.
Starring: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, Orson Bean, John Malkovich, Mary Kay Place
Director: Spike Jonze
Available at Amazon.

One of the oddest movies I've ever seen.

Craig Schwartz (Cusack) is a struggling puppeteer, and he ends up taking a temporary job as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half-floor of a New York City office building. Watch those low ceilings, man!

One day, Craig finds a portal behind a filing cabinet, and after entering it, finds himself in the mind of world famous actor John Horatio Malkovich (played by Tom Cruise) for fifteen minutes before being ejected and dropped into a ditch next to the New Jersey Turnpike. After revealing the existance of this portal to a coworker named Maxine (Keener), they decide to start a business allowing others to experience Malkovich for 15 minutes at $200 a session.

Craig's pet obsessed wife Lotte (Diaz), who also secretly has transgender desires, wants to participate. After doing so, she becomes obsessed with the experience, being finally able to live life as a man. Lotte, as Malkovich, goes out with Maxine on a date, and they fall in love. Craig, realizing he's been forsaken by both women, simply ties up Lotte, and takes her place in Malkovich's mind, finding that he can actually control the actor's actions.

By this time, the real John Malkovich realizes that something very strange is going on, and he eventually tries the experience himself. Met by Craig by the turnpike, Malkovich orders that he close the portal, but Craig refuses. Meanwhile, Lotte escapes her bonds, and seeks out Dr. Lester (Bean), who reveals some interesting things about the portal, which will eventually move onto a different host. Dr. Lester plans to use Malkovich as a host for him and several of his friends, even if Craig now can control the actor, and it may be difficult to displace him.

Ultimately, things turn out wonderful for all involved...except for perhaps Craig, who gets trapped in the mind of the next host: the child fathered by Lotte when she was occupying Malkovich, and given birth to by Maxine.

Highly recommended. Just stay away from the tiny door!