Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Adaptation

This is topic Adaptation in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000465

Posted by Brad Haven (Member # 954) on 12-06-2002, 06:17 AM:

I really enjoyed this film!
When i first walked out of the screening my head was swirling, but having had a week to think about it and work out what was fact or fiction, i now see that this is one hell of a film!
I think it's best to only read the flyer before seeing this film, knowing too much wont ruin the film, but might lessen the impact.

Nicholas Cage was great as the twins and Meryl Streep was, as always, wonderful in playing Susan Orlean and not to forget Chris Cooper, who is a favourite of mine, was fantastic as 'the orchid thief'.

To say much more just wouldn't be right so...
[thumbsup]

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 12-06-2002, 11:54 AM:

Now I haven't seen it yet but I heard that there is talk (though I am sure that most of it is comming from the studio) that Nick Cage could be the first actor to be nominated for best Actor and best Supporting Actor at the same time for the same movie. So anybody who has seen the movie, was his performance that good?

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 12-06-2002, 12:00 PM:

His performance was very good and the movie was very good also [thumbsup]

from the booth.
We ran this about three months ago.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 12-06-2002, 03:51 PM:

quote:
there is talk (though I am sure that most of it is comming from the studio) that Nick Cage could be the first actor to be nominated for best Actor and best Supporting Actor at the same time for the same movie.

An impossibility under Academy rules.

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 12-07-2002, 05:46 PM:

Really, didn't know that. I could have sworn that Roger Ebert had said something to that effect the other night on the Tonight Show. Maybe he meant that Nick Cage should get nominated and not necessarily that he would.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 12-20-2002, 04:36 AM:

This movie is fantastic. Don't even bother reading up on it or downloading a trailer, just go out and see this film!!!

5 stars out of 5. Well deserved. [thumbsup]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-20-2002, 11:27 AM:

This film rocks. Go see it. Now.

Hopefully it won't get lost in the shuffle, as there are currently quite a few worthwhile films in release at the moment (LOTR, Gangs of New York, Singin in the Rain reissue, etc.). Adaptation definitely deserves to be seen.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 12-29-2002, 05:30 PM:

Edgewater Multiplex Cinemas, Edgewater NJ, 12/29, 1:50 PM matinee, hall #7. Attendance 200+ -- quite a few stragglers came in after the feature started. Came 1 1/2 rows short of a complete sellout.

National Amusements landed Adaptation for a New Jersey exclusive in Edgewater over Xmas. There even was a "Happy Holidays" snipe with snow people watching a movie out of doors. NA is the only chain I know of to have such a snipe for Xmas/New Year's.

Picture good with random negative dirt. Sound excellent -- Dolby Digital even though the newspaper ads don't ID it as such.

Adaptation is nature film, seriocomedy and failed romance all in one. Anyone who saw Being John Malkovich will pick up on the seriocomedy aspect.

Chris Cooper steals this movie from Nicolas Cage. Don't be surprised if Cooper gets an Oscar nomination. Of course the Academy has to be bought off by Miramax before that can happen.

Also, why does everyone fawn over Meryl Streep? Because she's box office poison Sony is expanding Adaptation rather slowly. Tilda Swinton was far more convincing -- and Swinton's a better actress than the Academy recognizes.

The one minus? Not placing "Happy Together" by The Turtles over the end credits. Charlie singing it to his dying brother is strange enough. Hearing the actual song at the end is more surreal. Hearing the song in its entirety at the end would have been the perfect ending IMHO.

Brad and Scott are correct: Go out and see this movie.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-06-2003, 11:14 AM:

Wow. Go. Drop whatever it is you're doing and leave now for whatever city near you that it's playing in.

I'm glad I was dragged into this one. [Smile]

Five stars!

Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 01-06-2003, 01:37 PM:

That good is it? I believe I'll have to add this to my list of pictures to see.

danny

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-10-2003, 03:48 AM:

Just got done screening it. It was OK at best. Not confusing at all. But mostly, well, boring. A few original ideas going on, but just because they are original does not mean they are good (or entertaining). The movie took quite a turn when Nicolas Cage came to New York to help Nicolas Cage work over his screenplay. The movie turned from a boring movie about a guy trying to write a boring movie into a boring "thriller" type of movie. The entire time after the two brothers joined up in NY I kept thinking "OK this is all changing because his brother is helping him with the script now, and he's into thrillers and stuff like that". Unfortunately his brother forgot to make the script entertaining. I was happy to get paid to watch it, though.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-10-2003, 03:47 PM:

Joe is confused. He must have seen "Adaptation" while the rest of us watched "Adaptation." with a period at the end. Call your booker and tell him that they didn't send you the right movie. [Smile]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-11-2003, 03:12 PM:

You must be confused. Check out the title of this thread. No period. You are posting in the wrong thread. [Smile]

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 01-11-2003, 07:45 PM:

This is one weird movie. I really liked this one. In a strange way, it reminded me of MEMENTO, in that you have to pay total and complete attention, which is rare in today's movies.

Everything is outstanding about this film...acting, directing and especially the writing. Nicolas Cage is outstanding.

This seems to be a really good time for film...CHICAGO last week, ADAPTATION this week, and THE HOURS next weekend. CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND also looks good. Nice to see things bringing me back to the theatre again.

A bit disappointed at audience...only about 20 people in a 350 seat room. More people should come see this film.

This film was so intriguing, that I went to the bookstore this afternoon and bought THE ORCHID THIEF. The current paperback edition has an interesting self-interview by the author about ADAPTATION.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-16-2003, 12:07 AM:

I missed this one when it was in the theaters. That's because, well, it didn't play at the one good theater in my town. So I gave the DVD a spin this weekend.

First, I am really glad I didn't watch any movie trailers or hear too much about this film, even from Chris Cooper's Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor. The movie was a pretty fun mind-fuck, IMHO. I didn't figure out the whole joke entirely until I looked up a few things on IMDB.

Aside from the head trip this movie pulls, I really liked how this film got across the feelings and frustrations of creative brain lock. I've worked on art and graphics projects while uttering some of the same self-loathing things Charlie Kaufman mutters. Everyone has suffered from crippling self-doubt at one time or another, and it can be most destructive when it comes to pursuing members of the opposite sex. This film succeeds (at least with me anyway) since it is both so different from typical Hollywood fare and that human feelings are central to its core.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 07-13-2003, 12:03 PM:

I bought this on DVD for the wife as she's a real fan of the book, which she read me about 1/2 of while on car trips. It reminded me a great deal of The French Lieutenant's Woman. I enjoy this kind of jigsaw puzzle film, although I felt that in this one they over complicated it unnecessarily. I thought the two brothers thing was not necessary and wondered if this was a furtherance of the goofy brothers story telling MO or if the goof brother existed at all. Interesting if you like mental gymnastics