Review of Synecdoche, New York (2008) by Epileptic — 07 Dec 2014

Synecdoche New York was booed when it was first screened at cannes. Having now seen it, I know why. First off let us say in defence of Synecdoche New York, that it is quite nicely lit and the art direction creates a visual atmosphere that is both elegant and soothing. Now all that's missing is a meaningful script, a decent director and a reason why. Synecdoche New York is the sort of self-important twaddle that makes audiences snore and critics grovel. The meta-physical mumbo-jumbo the film exudes makes no sense whatsoever and the film itself resists unlocking. Prepare to be told that it's a masterpiece. One over-zealous critic called it a "religious experience". No wonder church attendance is low on sunday.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman came across as the only actor who actually gave a damn about the film. But his performance is so thoroughly engulfed in the long shadow of pretentiousness cast by hack writer/director Charlie Kaufman that it's hard to praise it. It's a real shame because Synecdoche New York has enough poetry for several great films but Kaufman somehow manages to muff it up. He's made a 2 hour bore-fest that possesses no thematic substance whatsoever. This is a failure of epic proportions. You've got to be a genius to make a movie this bad.