Spike Jonze is a complicated filmmaker. Not only are his films themselves complex in their subconscious depths, especially Adaptation and Being John Malkovich, but his different paths are mind-boggling.Jonze started out as a punk, a straight-out rebel skater kid at heart who made skateboarding films that echoed the early MTV frenzy (before MTV stood for "Make TeleVision?"). There's no doubt that this Spike Jonze was a rebel against mainstream culture, but his music videos for the Beastie Boys and REM could never suggest where his career was headed. Yes, Jackass made a lot of sense, but despite the obvious and very legitimate arguments against such a ridiculous show, I'd argue that there was a certain genius in the idiocy of that program.
Most of the stunts are adolescent, testosterone-filled, and disgusting, but some of the pranks are quite brilliant. By creating ridiculous situations for normal people, such as a fat man chasing a dwarf through a public street in diapers, it went further than any hidden camera show had gone before, and there really is a certain joy and innocence in testing the limits of public behavior.
Where he went from there, though, is hilarious all on its own. Though Jonze has only made a few full-length films, each has been met with critical acclaim only comparable to the occasional films of Terrance Malick or a director of that stature. He went from punk kid to working with John Cusack, John Malkovich and Catherine Keener in the blink of an eye. And in partnership with Charlie Kaufman, as I've discussed before, he drew an actual acting performance from Nic Cage. Not a bad start for a skater.
His films are unorthodox and haunting, hilarious and mind-bending. His best work has been with Kaufman, which I pointed out in an earlier post, but I would argue that the film that most evidences his countercultural style is Where the Wild Things Are. No other director could have, or would have dared to, make that film. Never has a children's book been adapted into such a complex and haunting film, which examines childhood itself and appeals to all ages for all reasons. A strange and drifting film, the beauty lies in the examination of fantasy rather than fantasy itself. By drifting through this dream, Jonze forces his audience to confront their own insecurities, something that no children's film besides the Toy Story series has dared to try.
Jonze makes me happy. Talent knows no bounds.
