Synopsis
Charlie Kaufman (Cage), a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald (also Cage). While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," a novel by Susan Orlean (Streep), Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman, Orlean and John Laroche (Cooper), the orchid poacher and the subject of Orlean's book, become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the others'.

Critique
Adaptation satirizes not only the entertainment medium, specifically movie making, but also itself. Charlie Kaufman’s (Being John Malkovich) script is like a paradox of some kind. The script within the script and the way the story plays is a very gutsy, yet fun idea. I read Kaufman’s (early) script about a year before the film’s release and it all seemed too good to be true, that is, the script was beyond hilarious, but the challenging question seemed to be, "how is this going to translate to the screen?" For one, Spike Jonze’s direction propels the script to greater lengths and makes it work really well on screen. Two, Nicolas Cage sells his character with an incredible, subdued and funny performance. Cage plays twin brothers and he appears opposite himself a lot. It isn’t the special effects, which look very real by the way, but the way Cage plays the two characters; he creates two different personalities that no matter how similar Charlie and Donald look, we always know who’s who.

Support comes from Meryl Streep and Oscar-winner Chris Cooper. They have an entirely separate storyline in the film and both of them make it work because of their performance. While I find their storyline, or love relationship to be exact, a little too slow and unbalancing, Streep and Cooper nevertheless make it more than it is; sharing laughs, awkward moments and silly telephone conversations (okay, it’s just one call, but it’s hilarious). Brian Cox also shows up as famous screenwriter Robert McKey and turns in a nice cameo performance. Other cameos are all over the film, but discovering them yourself is much cooler than if I spoiled them for you here.

Adaptation is clever, fun and daring. Its script takes center stage. Charlie Kaufman’s problems of adapting Susan Orlean’s book somehow seem funny on film. It appears he added things here and there for dramatic and comedic purposes, but why not. Adaptation might seem to run slower than it should, but that’s not a concern to dismiss the film’s smarts and coolness.
9 out of 10

Video
Columbia Tristar presents Adaptation in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen (enhanced for 16x9 televisions). Adaptation has some cool, vibrant colors and very good cinematography (by Lance Acord). The film benefits greatly from the Superbit transfer. This is the first time I viewed a Superbit release and I have to admit the results are terrific. For anyone who doesn’t know what to expect of it, here’s a short explanation. Superbit DVDs utilize a special high bit rate digital transfer process that optimizes video quality. They start with high definition masters and double the bit rate of the original release.

I didn’t notice any major flaws in the transfer. Problems like scratches or dirt did not appear on the print. Adaptation’s color palette is very rich and bright, while color detail is strong. Dark tones and black level perform very well. It’s safe to say Adaptation looks beautiful. This Superbit transfer is terrific and offers a great video presentation.
7 out of 10

Audio
Adaptation is available in English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Digital Surround. The Superbit transfer of the audio presentation is also quite terrific. Carter Burwell’s score penetrates just enough to make it cool and revealing. Dialog scenes are crisp and clear. Sound effects are limited in quantity, but perform well over the speakers. Both front and rear speakers are at work, but overall surround usage is not always consistent. The film is also available in English DTS Stereo, but it is not too impressive. All these factors create a very nice and rich audio presentation. You can also opt to view the film in French Dolby Digital 5.1, but its quality is nowhere near the one of the English track.
9 out of 10

Extras
The only extra, if you want to call it that, is the film’s Theatrical Trailer. Cast and filmmaker filmographies are also included. You can select to view the film with optional English and French subtitles. The DVD’s menus are animated. The 114-minute feature is organized into twenty-eight chapters.

And that’s it for this release (I guess the rating below this paragraph is fair, since we at least get something, even if it’s very minimal). Superbit DVDs don’t include special features, but a 2-disc edition would have solved that (Punch-Drunk Love receives a Superbit 2-disc special edition June 24). For now there are no plans or news of a special edition for Adaptation. If one goes in the works, however, I would expect at least a behind-the-scenes featurette and some deleted scenes. Let’s hope the date for a special edition will not be too far away.
1 out of 10

Overall
Adaptation is a very good film with incredible, great performances and a smart-as-hell script by Charlie Kaufman (I’d credit Donald with a rewrite). This Superbit release offers terrific video and audio presentations, but the lack of special features decrease the DVDs overall value. Superbit Nevertheless, Adaptation comes highly recommended.

Overall DVD Rating: 7 out of 10 (not an average)

Dennis Landmann
www.moviefreak.com