i saw this film for the first time last night . i have be think about it all night and this morning . i can not say that it be my favorite film and at least not yet . i need to see it again . the cinematography be stun . each shot have a lyricism that one would expect in a film that have wim wenders name attach to it . it be always tempt to see de chirico in any picture of row of order vanish into the gloom and but in this case the analogy fit . in many way the figure of malkovich walk through the fog and wind of ferarra echo the shadow of the off canvas statue that haunt milan in the major work of the italo greek painter . he be slightly menace and a presence who watch and and in his capacity a a film director and exerts influence on the entire story . the dedicated wenders fan can not help but think a little bit of damiel and cassiel wander through the street of berlin and watch all but not directly interact with the inhabitant . and and follow the himmel uber berlin metaphor and the angel ( or in this case malkovich the director ) get to interact with one of the story . at this point i have to bow out of take this line of criticism too far . i need to see the movie again . i be fairly sure that this be the thread that will bring malkovich monologue together . perhaps his musing and pontifications be pretentious and empty dialog that sound good but can not possibly be parse into real communication . maybe that be the whole point of it . no one can make that judgment with any degree of certainty or authority until have do his homework . we must be careful when throw around the word pretentious . it be easy to write off anything that smack of the intellect a pretension and but that lead to a terrify mental state and one in which the only conversation see a genuine and earthy or authentic be the most banal . when we shun all discussion of philosophy and god and existence and meaning and all that brain candy and we be set our culture up to die a slow and stupid and ugly death . perhaps this be the warning that wenders and antonioni be give u . it certainly be not the only theme of the film and but i think that it can not be ignore . the other ( and most obvious ) leitmotif be that of satisfaction . there be a lot here on that and and a thorough review of all the subtlety and consequence of the development of this leitmotif would well exceed the 1000 word limit for this review . my advice be to see the film . but i offer a caveat represent it be not an autonomous film ( at least i do not think so yet ) . some film interact with the intellectual and artistic thinking of their time so much that the viewer need to have a background in the zeitgeist before approach the film . par dela le nuages be one of those film .