Review of Synecdoche, New York (2008) by James M — 29 May 2010

It's pretty much what you'd expect from the mind of Charlie Kaufman but it's nowhere near as funny, clever or original as Being John Malkovich, Adaptation or Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. In fact, it's clear that Kaufman was inspired heavily by Woody Allen & Ingmar Bergman when he started painting this canvas. Philip Seymour Hoffman has the neurotic protagonist nailed and the supporting cast are fine, especially Samantha Morton & Michelle Williams, but the narrative is far too confusing, almost to the point of frustration, but eventually the artistic poetry shines through if you're patient enough to sit through the entire 2 hours.

It certainly wouldn't be everyones cup of tea, even ardent fans of the director's earlier work and it isn't quite the Citizen Kane of mindfucks it was intended to be, but it would be drifting somewhere in the top 10.