Ryan McNeil
First things first: it’s pronounced sin-ECK-DA-key.
Now that I have that out of the way, I’ll try to talk about this amazingly odd movie from the go-to-guy for amazingly odd, Charlie Kaufman. For those of you who don’t know, Kaufman wrote such strange stories as ADAPTATION, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, AND ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK marked the first time he got behind the camera and directed his own story. If you thought his other films were odd, baby you ain’t seen nothin‘ yet.
SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK centres on the life of Caden Cotard, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman with his usual brand of brilliance. Caden is a theatre director, who finds himself the recipient of a hefty grant. He decides he wants to use it on a project that is truthful, ambitious, unconventional, and human. What actually comes of it is tough to explain, but in essence it’s a play about his life…every minor facet of his truly strange existence. The play keeps on growing, and growing, employing a cast of hundreds and set on a stage that barely fits inside a warehouse the size of an aircraft hanger. Kinda weird huh?
Well, along with that, there’s the story of Adele, his wife, who paints portraits the size of postage stamps. Then there’s Madeleine, his psychiatrist that dispenses the most useless and obvious advice ever thought up. Or there’s Hazal, his box office clerk who lives in a house that is continually on fire. While all of these people frustrate the hell out of Caden, they at least distract him from his continuous mysterious ailments that are too numerous (and increasingly absurd) to list.
The movie, which becomes the cinematic equivalent of a Russian matryoshka doll, is one of the most original I’ve ever seen. It’s truly advanced Kaufman, and will frustrate and confuse many a viewer who dare to take it on. I decided to sleep on this one, rather than writing my thoughts immediately after the screening. I’m happy I did, since I find my feelings of frustration dulled and an amused sense of admiration sinking in. The movie won’t be the same sort of indie hit as BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, but I give it high marks for being amazingly original.
SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK plays once more at TIFF 08, and will be released by Sony Pictures Classics in the October. Give it a look if you dare.