Synecdoche, New York (pronounced Sih-NECK-doh-kee) is one of those films that skirts on the edge between brilliance and disappearing up its own ass. The directorial debut of Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine and Being John Malkovich writer Charlie Kaufman, it takes us into the world of arty theatre director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who’s far better at putting on plays than living his own life.
He is given the seemingly bottomless MacArthur award, with which he can do something that pushes the boundaries of art. Caden decides to gather a large ensemble of actors together in a massive warehouse, in which he builds a life-size size replica of part of New York, and starts to instruct his actors in his celebration of the mundane, in which life is turned into theatre. However as the ‘fake’ city and the theatre piece grows – despite the fact there’s never an audience – it also gets ever more complex, with Caden needing people to play him and his crew directing the play, and eventually wanting people to play the people playing him and the crew.
But while he spends decades creating his masterpiece that blurs the line between reality and fiction, he struggles to create a meaningful relationship with the various women in his life and tries to deal with a mysterious medical condition with ever-changing symptoms.
Like Kaufman’s other works, Synecdoche, New York is an immensely thought provoking movie, filled with bold ideas, quirky inventions and boundless ambition. Also like his previous scripts, it’s filled with so much ambition that it constantly feels on the verge of collapsing under the weight of what it’s trying to do. It’s sometimes difficult to escape the feeling that you’ve drifted into one man’s utter solipsism. Kaufman’s scripts have all felt rather self-indulgent to some extent and here it threatens to overwhelm the film. It’s a movie that speaks to his own neurosis and obsessions, while rarely illuminating them for the audience. To a certain extent the entire movie is designed as a joke at Kaufman’s expense, acknowledging its own indulgences by creating a film about a man crippled by his pretensions and inability to make his art properly reflect his life, but just because the film is aware of its own problems, doesn’t mean it can completely overcome them.
Thankfully though, while it’s difficult to escape the feeling that this is more a film Kaufman made for himself than for audiences (not least because of the succession of beautiful women Caden/Kaufman gets to bed), it does feature some great acting from a very impressive cast, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Michelle Williams, Tom Noonan, Diane Wiest, Hope Davis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Samantha Morton, and Emily Watson. There are also moments when the indulgences give way to some beautiful meditations on life, and its highs, lows and disappointments, as well as enough ideas and ambition to get your brain racing, which is no mean feat in itself.
The disc includes a pretty decent selection of special features, including an interesting interview with Charlie Kaufman, as well as a look behind the scenes, and various other bits and pieces. It’s all worth a look, although perhaps not a revealing as you might hope for a film that never quite seems to unlock its secrets.
Overall Verdict: At times it may feel self-indulgent and slightly lifeless, but there are enough great ideas and beautiful moments to ensure Kaufman’s experiment is worth a watch or two.
Special Features:
‘Infection Diseases In Cattle: Bloggers’ Roundtable’ Featurette
The Story Of Caden Cotard
Interview With Charlie Kaufman
Charlie Kaufman Animations
In & Around Synecdoche, New York
Reviewer: Tim Isaac
