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Picture
A perpetually ill theater director creates a life-size replica of New York City inside a warehouse as part of his new play, but also as a coping mechanism.
DRAMA

Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Written and Directed by Charlie Kaufman

Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton,
Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson,
​Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis, Tom Noonan

Connor Eyzaguirre
January 21, 2020
6/10
I had absolutely no idea what to expect with Synecdoche, New York. Prior to prepping the PSH podcast, I'd never heard of it. Suffice it to say, it's a mess. It's one of the most confusing films I've ever watched. It's the brainchild of filmmaker Charlie Kaufman, who is know for his cerebral film experiences like Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But this film is so self-indulgent and artsy that it's almost infuriating. Virtually the one positive giving this film a passing score are the incredible, flawless performances from every principle actor.

Hoffman plays Caden Cotard, a theater director who suffers from some unknown debilitating illness. He struggles with women, mainly three women throughout the film, and decides to make something incredible before he dies. He builds a life-size replica of New York City inside a giant warehouse, and writes a play set in the fake city. It's unclear whether this really happened in the narrative or if Caden was slowly losing his mind due to illness. By the end, you still don't know. The film moves so damn fast without giving the audience any time to process anything. Hoffman has great chemistry with Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, and Catherine Keener, all of whom randomly vanish at times in the movie. You really need to pay attention the entire time or you will get lost.

This film suffers from a dreadfully uneven script and a complete disregard for narrative structure. Art for the sake of art is goddamn ridiculous. Confusing your audience should never be your main goal with a film. This is one that deserves to fall through the cracks, as I can't imagine ever wanting to watch this zigzag of a movie again. It's not that hard to tell a coherent story. Michael Bay does it all the time. If he can do it, surely Charlie Kaufman can do it too.

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