Caden Cotard is dying. All his autonomic functions are shutting down, and he wants to accomplish something original with his life before this slow-moving, unnamed disease finally leaves him dead. So Cotard, a theater director, decides to produce an ambitious stage project, where he recreates New York City in a warehouse.
This is the basis of Charlie Kaufman's new film Synecdoche, New York. With classics Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on his resume, Kaufman has established himself as one of the most original and wildest screenwriters working in film today. However, both of those films had a director who could filter the insanity in his screenplays. His latest screenplay also marks his directorial debut, and the results are mixed.
Kaufman is obviously very good with actors. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays the dying Cotard, does some of the best work of his career, portraying a man whose ambitions are outmatched by his ability. His struggles creatively are nothing, though, compared to the struggles he has in his relationships with his family and lovers throughout his journey. As his life and body fail him, Hoffman remains a presence on screen worth watching. He's also supported by a strong group of actresses playing the women in his life, including Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton and Michelle Williams.
Unfortunately, Kaufman's script becomes too unwieldy to remain engaging. Actors are used to portray people in Cotard's life, and then actors have to be brought in to play the actors. Time jumps around freely throughout the movie and sometimes there's no telling when years have passed. All the additional complexities don't add any depth to the story. Instead, they just create unnecessary confusion in a film that is already difficult to enjoy because of the themes of death and artistic impotence.
Kaufman created a challenging film that goes way outside the mainstream. If the viewer is able to go along with the ride, the experience can be rewarding. For most, the film probably doesn't come together enough to make an impact.
3 Culture
Ethan Goldsmith
