Critical assessments of films currently in theaters

ADAPTATION (Local) What a bewilderingly brilliant and entertainingmovie this is--a confounding story about orchid thieves andscreenwriters, elegant New Yorkers and scruffy swamp rats, truth andfiction. Nicolas Cage stars as the twin screenwriters Charlie andDonald Kaufman, struggling to adapt a book about an orchid thief(Chris Cooper). Meryl Streep plays the author of the book, with whomCharlie becomes obsessed, at about the same time she is attracted tothe smelly but enigmatic thief. Director Spike Jonze and writerCharlie Kaufman earlier made "Being John Malkovich," the best film of1999, and this one is equally playful, audacious and entertaining.Rated R. …