Review of Synecdoche, New York (2008) by Brandon S — 24 Apr 2010

If you've seen Eternal Sunshine, Being John Malkovich, or Adaptation, then you'd know that Charlie Kaufman has a flare for the eccentric. As the writer on these projects, Kaufman's winning team included Spike Jonze as director. With Jonze busy working on 'Where the Wild Things Are,' Kaufman was left to take on directing duties for this film himself. This makes "Synecdoche, New York" the litmus test for true Charlie Kaufman fans, as this movie gives us the most in-depth look we've ever had into the mind of one of the most innovative filmmakers of our generation.

Synechdoche, New York is the story of Caden Cotard (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman), an accomplished adaptive playwright who is also a hypochondriac, due in large part to the fact that he actually does seem to suffer from every ailment imaginable. His morbid disposition puts a strain on his family, prompting his wife, an artist, to relocate overseas with their daughter for an indefinite amount of time that eventually becomes forever.

Shortly thereafter, Caden receives a MacArthur Grant, giving him the chance to produce his own original material. Convinced he'll die young, Caden sets lofty goals for his grand production, including replicating the entire city of New York in a single warehouse.

Hoffman delivers one of the best and most achingly heartfelt performances of his career in this film, a great story that shows originality is still very much possible in watered-down Hollywood. After years upon years of development, Cotard's play remains in the rehearsal/pre-production stage, as it continues to evolve until almost half the city becomes players. First the original cast, then another cast to play the first cast at the same time, and so on and so forth. The complexity of the play is a direct reflection of the complexity of the film itself, as it commands a great deal of focus and attention from the viewer to follow the ever-increasing developments of a life's work.

Plagued by memories of his failed marriage, and regret from not being able to see his daughter grow up, the project becomes an absolute heartbreaking process, as Caden constantly teeters on the brink of collapsing under the weight of his vision while becoming more ill and growing older all the way to his - and the play's - ultimate, gut-wrenching end.

Synechdoche, New York is the pinnacle of existential cinema, and brings Charlie Kaufman to a new high mark in his career from this directorial debut. His use of symbolism is comical, yet some of the most keen I've ever witnessed. The most blantant yet significant example is a character by the name of Hazel, one of Caden's love interests, who decides to purchase a house that is always on fire...yes, ALWAYS on fire. She makes her apprehensions known, stating "I like it, but I'm really concerned about dying in the fire," to which the real estate agent responds, "It's a big decision, how one prefers to die." After years of living in the house, Hazel succumbs to the result of years of smoke inhalation. In the scene before her death, Hazel speaks of how the end is built into the beginning, a poignant echo of the irrefutable truth that life is all about choices. The rest of the film is packed to the brim with memorable quotes and visuals that act as sharp darts to our consciousness, prodding us to wake up and practice some introspection.

Kaufman, the writer, continues to push the boundaries in searching the human soul, and young American writers can do a great deal for themselves in studying his past and current work. In the dual role of writer and director, I liken Kaufman to an Apple computer, being the sole proprietor of both the hardware and its operating system, optimizing the potential of the product. As much as I love collaborations between Kaufman and Spike Jonze, it was refreshing to see Charlie bring a film to life from his mind, to the script, and onto the screen free of outside interpretation. It is in this regard that Kaufman has shown his full self, and possibly graduated to a level surpassing his long-time friend.

One of the best films of the past decade, Synecdoche, New York exceeds the ambitions of Adaptation's fundamentals by a mile. It succeeds in provoking thought, which should be every film's goal next to entertaining. Watch it once, take a few hundred deep breaths as you process what you've seen, then - a few days or weeks later - watch it again to catch what you've missed. This film certainly isn't for everyone, but if you like to be challenged, give it a try.