Review of Synecdoche, New York (2008) by John P — 04 Sep 2010

This could possibly be the most feverishly bizarre and depressing film of Charlie Kaufman's career, and that sure is saying something. It could also be the most flawed. It's a film that practically collapses under it's own weight.

It's far too long, spanning a timeline of over 17 years, and it's absurdly complex, containing a plot that involves characters who are actors playing other characters and actors playing those actors, as well as a replica of New York within a replica of New York within New York itself.

It's a viewing experience that's frustrating and exhausting enough to make even the biggest Kaufman fans want to give up on it. Still, as always, there's something to admire in Kaufman's artistic vision, and somewhere deep within this film's dense mechanisms lies a haunting message about death that almost seems to grant a purpose to the whole mess.

But is that message worth drudging through it all to find? I can't say that it is.