Charlie Kauffman's Synecdoche, New York feels impenetrable, abstract, and removed yet I was moved to tears by it all. Why? It felt "brutally honest".
Set in Schenectady, New York, the film follows Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a neurotic theatre director, as his life disintegrates. As things slip away Caden wins the MacArthur fellowship, and vows to create an original play, a work of "brutal honesty". Caden, however, lives in a bubble of his own thoughts, removing himself from his loveless marriage, making connections with those around him cold and awkward, and constantly he is searching for lost time. In his play we see Caden, examine the regrets of his life, and reflect intensely on what he should've said versus what actually happened or what he believed to have happened.
Kauffman handles Caden with a great deal of intimacy, allowing for a connection where there should be none, as Caden is so self-absorbed. Camera angles for Caden are nearly always close or portrait, any transitioning shots or establishing shots are also almost exclusively from Caden's point of view. The cinematography and set design mixes magical realism into the movie and gives a dream like quality to everything.
After plot and direction, things like acting and pacing become a bit harder to judge. How do you critique an actor that seems to be playing himself? If the pacing is designed to depict life, is the pacing of life intangible? Or is the medium of film unable to fully encapsulate the "pace" of life? This is all designed to force a personal response, and I can see people having varying opinions on this film, from boring to engaging and pretentious to being exact.
Tone of the film would be generally be considered depressing, but to me there is something life affirming about it, as if to say I am not the only one he feels the human condition so intensely. The closing scene of the film reminds me of a rich life lived, and the absence of this richness is stark and shocking.
Thematically there are so many ideas explored in this film. "Ce n'est pas une pipe" to how much can artist influence interpretations of his art to what is the human condition and how do you live a good life. Over a week later and I am still trying to warp my opinion to fit round the film.
A comic I read recently describes most how the film feels to me: "Life and death have been in love for longer than words can describe. Life sends countless gifts to death, and death keeps them forever."
Set in Schenectady, New York, the film follows Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a neurotic theatre director, as his life disintegrates. As things slip away Caden wins the MacArthur fellowship, and vows to create an original play, a work of "brutal honesty". Caden, however, lives in a bubble of his own thoughts, removing himself from his loveless marriage, making connections with those around him cold and awkward, and constantly he is searching for lost time. In his play we see Caden, examine the regrets of his life, and reflect intensely on what he should've said versus what actually happened or what he believed to have happened.
Kauffman handles Caden with a great deal of intimacy, allowing for a connection where there should be none, as Caden is so self-absorbed. Camera angles for Caden are nearly always close or portrait, any transitioning shots or establishing shots are also almost exclusively from Caden's point of view. The cinematography and set design mixes magical realism into the movie and gives a dream like quality to everything.
After plot and direction, things like acting and pacing become a bit harder to judge. How do you critique an actor that seems to be playing himself? If the pacing is designed to depict life, is the pacing of life intangible? Or is the medium of film unable to fully encapsulate the "pace" of life? This is all designed to force a personal response, and I can see people having varying opinions on this film, from boring to engaging and pretentious to being exact.
Tone of the film would be generally be considered depressing, but to me there is something life affirming about it, as if to say I am not the only one he feels the human condition so intensely. The closing scene of the film reminds me of a rich life lived, and the absence of this richness is stark and shocking.
Thematically there are so many ideas explored in this film. "Ce n'est pas une pipe" to how much can artist influence interpretations of his art to what is the human condition and how do you live a good life. Over a week later and I am still trying to warp my opinion to fit round the film.
A comic I read recently describes most how the film feels to me: "Life and death have been in love for longer than words can describe. Life sends countless gifts to death, and death keeps them forever."