Entry#180: Synecdoche, New York

 Trailer

Charlie Kaufman is the creative mind behind films like Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, Adaptation, and more. Though Kaufman didn't direct any of these films, his masterful screenplays are definitely one of the driving forces of these charming and intelligent films. He's worked with the likes of Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry, won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with Eternal Sunshine, and is generally considered as a great and thought-provoking writer. In 2008, though, Kaufman finally made his directorial debut with Synecdoche, New York - a surrealistic film that dealt with depression and the acception of death. It's Kaufman's darkest work, by far, and it may be for that reason, among others, that the film feels so weak when compared with his other works.

The film follows theatre director Caden Cotard and his life after directing a successful adaptation of Death of a Salesman. Though he should feel happy, Cotard is extremely depressed with his life and disconnected from his family. To add to his misery, Cotard's constantly bombarded by illnesses and the desire to sleep with other women. These women, according to Cotard, are individuals that understand and comfort him on a higher level than with his family. Eventually, Cotard loses his wife and child to the artistic community of Berlin and is, by the chance of fate, awarded with the MacArthur Fellowship. This award presents Cotard with $500,000 that is meant to further his artistic career with a new and original work. After some thought, Cotard decides to create a play that will "encompass everything in life" by setting his major play within a life-sized replica of New York contained within a large warehouse. The rest of the film follows Cotard's ensuing depression and the ongoing status of his extravagant "production".

The script and the characters are defintely of a high quality. The characters are complex, emotional, and very well-written. There's nothing artifical or cheap about any of the interesting cast members; it all feels real and heart-felt. As for the script, the writing's simply fantastic. I was constantly reminded of great screenplays because of the high quality of the dialogue and character interaction. At the same time, though, something about this film felt very off-putting. Unlike Kaufman's other films, which were serious yet charming, this film feels very, very cold. It doesn't let us connect with or try to understand anything when it comes to what the characters are going through. It's like watching a group of very interesting people through a transparent wall. In fact, the film seems to state that no one can ever really connect with anyone. It's this bitterness and lack of relation that hampers the film so much. I understand and respect depressing films - some of my favorite films are depressing - but Synecdoche, New York takes it too far. The quality of the writing my be superb, but it's too rough around the edges to let anyone even try to understand.

Is it possible, though, that I don't "understand' this film? I've looked around the web to see what other critics have thought and the results are quite polarizing. Some critics, such as Roger Ebert, claim that the film's one of the past decade's best while others claim it's a self-indulgent piece of misguided avant-garde filmmaking. I'm not sure if I agree with either statements, though. Though the film's certainly captivating and creative, I definitely wouldn't say it's one of the best films to come out in the last ten years. It's ambitious, yes, but too many ideas are crammed together and film uses symbolism to a degree that's reminiscent of a wannabe surrealist film student. It's that bad. Don't even get me started on the house that's in flames yet stays together...

On the other hand, though, this certainly isn't a "bad" movie. It's got spectacular writing and the characters are all quite complex. It's not that I don't like this film because I disagree with its message, as I enjoy plenty of films with messages that I don't necessarily agree with. Harold & Maude, for example, seems to promote hedonism but I still enjoy the film's characters and witty dialogue. This film, however, seems too cold to really connect with. It's smart, that's for certain, but I can't feel anything in watching it.

Visually, though, the film's very gorgeous. The cinematography, camerawork, and use of dark lenses create a mood that's perfect for the film (regardless of how it's too cold). The hi-def quality and cinematography look sharp, dark, and as excellent as can be. There isn't too much else that I can say, as I'm no expert on cinematography, but the film still looks REALLY good.

All in all, I did like Synecdoche, New York. It wasn't great, thanks to a cold demeanor and an overuse of redundant symbolism, but it was still fascinating for what it was. It's possible that I'm wrong and that the film deserves a re-watch, but I think I'll let some time pass before trying the film again...