Rating of
2.5/4
Adaptation review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 11/06/12
It seems the director focused on the messages rather than the entertainment value. Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) was hired to write the screenplay for The Orchid Thief while his brother Donald emulates him. Susan (Meryl Streep) from the New Yorker befriends the flower expert John Laroche (Chris Cooper). Flaws include the overused flashbacks, appropriate direction, sufficient humor and a meandering plot. Performances from Cage, Cooper and Streep were endearing. Another strength was its screenplay: Robert - "People are murdered every day. There's genocide, war, corruption. Every f____ day, somewhere in the world, somebody sacrifices his life to save someone else." Charlie - "I don't want to cram in sex or guns or car chases or characters learning profound life lessons or growing or coming to like each other or overcome obstacles to succeed in the end. The book isn't like that, and life isn't like that, it just isn't." and "Life is short. I need to make the most of it." Adaptation is worth viewing for its catchy dialogues, wonderful performances and oftentimes gorgeous photography/cinematography/editing.
