Synecdoche, New York

Synecdoche, New York
2008. dir. Charlie Kaufman. star. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Emily Watson, Tom Noonan, Jennifer Jason Leigh.
2 hours 5 minutes

Steph and I caught this on Friday night at the Bytowne, where we split some popcorn and a diet Pepsi.


Synecdoche, New York is the sixth film to come from the pen of Charlie Kaufman, and the first he has directed himself. And like he previous efforts, such as Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the film is by no means straightforward. It (loosely) concerns a playwright (played Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his forty-year effort to put together his massive theatre project that includes, among other things, and life-sized replica of Manhattan built inside a warehouse in …. Manhattan (keep repeating to yourself, “Charlie Kaufman, Charlie Kaufman”). But that is merely the plot, and the film is about two more grandiose concepts: the human mind, and life itself. Heavy stuff.

As the theatre project takes hold, it gradually becomes clear that Hoffman is making a play of his own life. He casts fill-ins for his ex-wives and girlfriends, and then eventually even himself. He ends up spending so much time with these actors, however, they then become an integral part of his real life, and so much must cast actors to play the actors who are playing his love interests. And so on, and so on.

I was in no way confused by Synecdoche, NY, but it is a film that I want to revisit again. One of the central themes, though, is that every one is the central character in their own life, and that their interpretation of the other people around them is not reality, but in fact, just their interpretation. Next time you’re on the bus, or train, or plane, or in a store, or whatever the situation may be, remember that the person beside you is living an entire life, just as complex as your own. It may give you a new perspective on things.

5 stars out of 5


Fun Fact of the day: Philip Seymour Hoffman's character's last name in the film is Cotard, which is a reference to Cotard's Syndrome, which is defined as a rare neuropsychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that he or she is dead, does not exist, is putrefying or has lost his/her blood or internal organs.
Once you see the film, it will make sense.