Charlie Kaufman has made his fortune in Hollywood by writing strange and odd screenplays like Being John Malcovich. He is also an odd individual that many might find crazy as he is constantly arguing with himself over his own ideas and ways to make them possible. Living with him is his twin brother Donald who is the polar opposite of Charlie as he is more outgoing and seems better able to get the woman. Charlie has trouble there as well as he can never seem to say what he means around women and is always at a lost when trying to talk to them. He has created his own fantasy world to make up for these problems though. Charlie has been recruited to write a new screenplay about a book called the Orchid Thief about an oddball character that is a botanist that is trying to steal the most rare of Orchids the Ghost. Susan Orlean is fascinated by him and decides to write a story about him for the New Yorker magazine that is later published into a book. She finds herself drawn into this oddball man who collects things and seems to be able to drop these loves at a hat and find a new love. He is full of new and surprising things and while Susan is entranced by him, Charlie is entranced by Susan and her story of him.

This movie is myopic kaleidoscope of one story after another. It is a movie within a movie in a dazzling way that confounds you, amazes you, and enthralls you. I was absolutely fascinated and drawn in by this story, which at times makes absolutely no sense. At times you think of the tow character that Cage plays as alter egos and at other times as two separate people. And the lines that allow you to discern which is which is almost impossible at times. Charlie is a hopeless individual who is looking for that hope while his brother is the exact opposite, as he seems to have found what he is looking for. Nicolas Cage does a magnificent job of acting, as he is funny, serious, and dramatic all at the same time. He even finds time to make fun of his own advancing age, receding hairline and pudgy appearance. A lot of the scenes will make you laugh out loud at their quirky and weird nature. If the movie is to be faulted it is that at times the story and plot gets so convoluted you are not sure where you are going or coming from. Also the movie can be offensive at times in a funny way and not so funny ways. So if you are a person with sensibilities this may not be the movie for you as at times it can go off on such a tangent to be crude. Still the movie was fascinating and quirky in a way that you so rarely see.
3.5 stars out of 5