‘Synecdoche, New York’ stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Tom Noonan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, Hope Davis and Emily Watson. The film is written and directed by Charlie Kaufman.
/ 5
Synopsis: A theater director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play.
Written and Directed by Charlie Kaufman. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Tom Noonan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, Hope Davis and Emily Watson.
Review:
Charlie Kaufman is a genius.
Many people shared this view long before they would or will have watched “Synecdoche, New York” but the deeply layered, emotional and sometimes frustrating storytelling behind his work can only fairly be described as genius at this point. Never before has Kaufman delved so deeply into the human psyche, than in this film. That may sound like a grand statement about the man who has made such exploratory films as “Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind” and “Adaptation”, but I feel it is true. Never before has he so strongly laid out on screen his inner thoughts, emotions, ideas about human existence, mortality and relationships, no doubt aided by the fact that he decided to direct this film himself, a decision which I think brings a whole new higher level of operation to his film making via the extra control over dialog and each measured shot that he directs.
The plot is so complicated that it would be rather impossible to detail without confusing someone into frustration who had not yet even seen the film. It is much more of a live experiment, which is actually the idea behind the plot, rather than an actual plot. Each and every word has been carefully crafted by Kaufman, down to the smallest detail. He seems to not want to allow a single sentence or thought to pass without insisting that it be a metaphor or a comment on the character’s (or his) state of mind at that particular moment - so much so that by the end of the film, when it becomes almost impossible to distinguish what is real for Caden (Seymour Hoffman) or what is part of his epic dramatic creation, I realized that the entire film may as well have been treated with the same thinking and logic from start to finish because of just how surreal Caden’s experiences are. Of course, this is a film that will frustrate and infuriate many people. It is deeply intellectual by design, and almost tedious in it’s unpredictability to the point where you must form a connection with the characters and not the plot, because if you do not find yourself enthralled past the the first twenty five minutes, there is no change of pace, sudden impact or reward for patience to be found in the next two hours. Caden (Seymour Hoffman) is a walking canvas; and Kaufman uses him to paint a vivid but abstract picture of his (and our) relationships, fear of mortality, loneliness, regrets and desire to find meaning in our work and life. You are not “missing” anything if you disagree with that assessment, it is only my personal opinion, which is what I believe Kaufman aims to engage with his work.
The performances of every actor in the cast are outstanding. I think that even the most fierce critics of the film would have to agree that Kaufman has truly reached for and achieved fine performances from his actors. Philip Seymour Hoffman has perhaps never been better, much like Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine’ and Nic Cage in Adaptation. It is obvious that Charlie Kaufman’s work demands and achieves the very best that his lead actors have to offer.
I have to say that this was a very difficult review to write, and that my own thoughts on the film may have just made a complex idea even more difficult to comprehend, or worse yet, failed completely at understanding it’s true intentions. I don’t care though, because I think that as Kaufman would say, his work is open to interpretation - whatever experience, sentiment or meaning you take to heart from his work is yours to keep and cannot be overruled. If you haven’t already, please take a chance on “Synecdoche, New York” because like all art, it deserves to be seen, heard, discussed and analyzed.
“Synecdoche, New York” will be showing at select locations across the UK throughout June and July - please check HERE for a list of dates and screenings.
DVD and Blu-ray
