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Being John Malkovich

This literal mind-bender follows a luckless puppeteer (John Cusack) who stumbles upon a portal in a corner of his office; once inside, you get to experience firsthand 15 minutes of actor John Malkovich’s life – literally seeing what he sees – before you’re spit out on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike. Armed with a wildly self-deprecating performance by Malkovich, as well as strong supporting turns by Catherine Keener and Cameron Diaz, first-time director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman have created a bizarrely original story that raises pertinent questions about identity, celebrity, and the nightmare of being stuck inside our own heads.

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